| Competition: | Kenyan Premier League |
| Season: | 2012 |
| Winners: | Tusker 5th Premier League title 10th Kenyan title overall |
| Relegated: | Rangers Oserian |
| Continentalcup1: | Champions League |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Tusker |
| Continentalcup2: | Confederation Cup |
| Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | Gor Mahia (cup winner) |
| Continentalcup3: | Top 8 Cup |
| Continentalcup3 Qualifiers: | Tusker Gor Mahia A.F.C. Leopards Sofapaka Thika United Ulinzi Stars Chemelil Sugar Mathare United |
| League Topscorer: | John Baraza (Sofapaka) (18 goals) |
| Biggest Home Win: | KCB 4–0 Nairobi City Stars (2 March 2012)[1] A.F.C. Leopards 6-2 Rangers (8 April 2012)[2] |
| Biggest Away Win: | Rangers 0–6 Thika United (25 March 2012)[3] |
| Highest Scoring: | A.F.C. Leopards 6-2 Rangers (8 April 2012) |
| Matches: | 240 |
| Total Goals: | 458 |
| Highest Attendance: | 20,409[4] (Gor Mahia versus AFC Leopards) |
| Prevseason: | 2011 |
| Nextseason: | 2013 |
The 2012 Kenyan Premier League (known as the Tusker Premier League for sponsorship reasons) was the ninth season of the Kenyan Premier League since its establishment in 2003 and the forty-ninth season of top division football in Kenya since 1963. It began on 11 February with Tusker and Nairobi City Stars and ended on 10 November with Oserian and Rangers. The winners of the league will earn a place at the preliminary round of the 2013 CAF Champions League and play against the 2012 FKF President's Cup champions at the 2013 Kenyan Super Cup.
The defending champions Tusker, who also became the defending champions of the Kenyan Super Cup after beating Gor Mahia, the defending champions of the FKF Cup, earlier in the year, won their tenth league title after beating Nairobi City Stars 3−0 away at the Hope Centre. Gor Mahia, the former league leaders with 58 points (Tusker were second with 57), needed a win against Thika United to clinch a record thirteenth title, but the match ended in a 1−1 draw. A.F.C. Leopards, who were third with 57 points (Tusker were ahead on goal difference), also needed a win for a chance at a record thirteenth title as well, but lost 1−0 away to Chemelil Sugar.
A total of 16 teams are competed for the league, with fourteen returning from the 2011 season and one promoted from the FKL Nationwide League and the KFF Nationwide League, which were joint to make FKF Division One after the 2011 season. FKL champions Oserian and KFF champions Muhoroni Youth were promoted, while Congo JMJ United and Bandari, finishing last and second-last respectively, were relegated. Oserian were relegated at the end of the season, along with Rangers.
The league was halted at the end of 20 May to give teams a chance to rest and make possible changes in their squads during the mid-year transfer window. Matches resumed on 23 June.
On 21 August, the Kenyan Premier League and East African Breweries signed a KSh.170 million/= (US$2.02 million; £1.28 million sterling; €1.62 million) deal to rename the league to the Tusker Premier League, making it the most lucrative deal in Kenyan football history.[5]
Several teams share common stadiums in the league, the most shared being the Nyayo National Stadium, by A.F.C. Leopards, Muhoroni Youth, Rangers and Sofapaka.
Half of all the 16 teams are based in Nairobi.
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.F.C. Leopards | Nairobi | Nyayo National Stadium | ||
| Chemelil Sugar | Chemelil | Chemelil Sports Complex | ||
| Gor Mahia | Nairobi | Nairobi City Stadium | ||
| Karuturi Sports | Naivasha | Naivasha Stadium | ||
| KCB | Nairobi | Nairobi City Stadium | ||
| Mathare United | Nairobi | Kasarani Stadium | ||
| Muhoroni Youth | Muhoroni | Muhoroni Stadium | ||
| Nairobi City Stars | Nairobi | Hope Centre | ||
| Oserian | Naivasha | Naivasha Stadium | ||
| Rangers | Nairobi | Nyayo National Stadium | ||
| Sofapaka | Nairobi | Nyayo National Stadium | ||
| Sony Sugar | Awendo | Green Stadium | ||
| Thika United | Thika | Thika Municipal Stadium | ||
| Tusker | Nairobi | Kasarani Stadium | ||
| Ulinzi Stars | Nakuru | Afraha Stadium | ||
| Western Stima | Kakamega | Bukhungu Stadium |
As of September 24, 2012.
| Team | Head coach | Captain | Kit manufacturer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.F.C. Leopards | Jan Koops |  Martin Imbalambala | Legea | |
| Chemelil Sugar | Edward Manoah | Charles Odero | Adidas | |
| Gor Mahia |  Zdravko Logarusić | Jerim Onyango | Legea | |
| Karuturi Sports | Michael Nam | Amon Muchiri | Adidas | |
| Kenya Commercial Bank | James Omondi | Joseph Kangata | Adidas | |
| Mathare United | Stanley Okumbi | Anthony Kimani | Puma | |
| Muhoroni Youth | Alfred Imonje | Nicholas Owende | Prima | |
| Nairobi City Stars | Gideon Ochieng | John Amboko | Adidas | |
| Oserian | Sammy Omollo | John Keo | Adidas | |
| Rangers | James Nandwa | Victor Omondi | Adidas | |
| Sofapaka | Stewart Hall | James Situma | Adidas | |
| Sony Sugar | Zedekiah Otieno | Wilson Oburu | Joma | |
| Thika United | John Kamau | Kepha Aswani | Legea | |
| Tusker | Robert Matano | Joseph Shikokoti | Legea | |
| Ulinzi Stars | Sammy Simiyu | Geoffrey Kokoyo | Adidas | |
| Western Stima | Henry Omino | George Wesa | Adidas |
As of September 24, 2012.
| Team | Outgoing | Reason | Date of vacancy | Incoming | Date of appointment | Table position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gor Mahia | Zedekiah Otieno | End of contract | December 2011[6] |  Anaba Awono | 17 December 2011 | End of 2011 season | |
| Anaba Awono | Sacked | 5 March 2012[7] | John Bobby Ogolla | 7 March 2012 | N/A | ||
| John Bobby Ogolla | Demoted | March 2012[8] | Zdravko Logarusić | March 2012 | |||
| Mathare United | Gabriel Njoroge | Resigned | March 2012[9] | Stanley Okumbi | March 2012 | ||
| Muhoroni Youth | Alfred Imonje | Suspended | April 2012[10] (then resigned)[11] | Reinstated | May 2012[12] [13] | 12th | |
| Nairobi City Stars | Gideon Ochieng | Resigned | December 2011[14] | Reinstated | December 2011[15] | End of 2011 season | |
| Oserian | Sammy Otinga | Resigned | June 2012[16] | Gilbert Selebwa | June 2012[17] | 16th | |
| Gilbert Selebwa | Back to | 18 August 2012[18] [19] [20] | Sammy Omollo | 20 August 2012[21] [22] [23] | |||
| Rangers | David Ouma | Sacked | December 2011[24] | Ezekiel Akwana | January 2012 | End of 2011 season | |
| Ezekiel Akwana | Resigned | April 2012[25] [26] | Jaffer Gichuki | April 2012 | N/A | ||
| Jaffer Gichuki | Resigned | June 2012[27] | James Nandwa | 22 June 2012[28] [29] | 15th | ||
| Sofapaka | Salim Ali | Sacked | 21 August 2012[30] [31] [32] | Stewart Hall | 12 September 2012[33] | 3rd | |
| Sony Sugar | Francis Baraza | Sacked | January 2012[34] | Zedekiah Otieno | January 2012 | End of 2011 season | |
| Tusker | Sammy Omollo | Sacked | 15 August 2012[35] [36] [37] | Robert Matano | 24 August 2012[38] | 2nd | |
| Ulinzi Stars | Benjamin Nyangweso | Sacked | March 2012[39] | Sammy Simiyu | 1 April 2012[40] [41] | N/A |
The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological evolvements, any postponed matches are not included to the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards. For example, if a match is scheduled for matchday 13, but then postponed and played between days 16 and 17, it will be added to the standings for day 16.
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[42] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Baraza | Sofapaka | 18 |
| 2 |  Dan Sserunkuma | Gor Mahia | 17 |
| 3 | Rama Salim | Gor Mahia | 12 |
| Kepha Aswani | Thika United | ||
| Evans Amuoka | Ulinzi Stars | ||
| 6 | Paul Kiongera | Kenya Commercial Bank | 11 |
| 7 | Jesse Were | Mathare United | 10 |
| 8 | Mike Baraza | A.F.C. Leopards | 9 |
| 9 | Francis Ouma | Mathare United | 8 |
| Andrew Tololwa | |||
| Ismail Salim | Sony Sugar | ||
| Erasto Ndege | Tusker |