The Kenyan Premier League signed a five-year sponsorship deal worth $11.182 million (Sh1.2 billion) with online gaming company, Betking Kenya.
Football Kenya Federation Kenya (FKF) President Nick Mwendwa announced the deal on Thursday terming it “the biggest deal in our history”.
The KPL will now be referred to as the Betking Premier League, for sponsorship reasons.
A statement on the FKF’s website said that each participating club will be entitled to at least just over $74,000 (Sh8 million) annually from the Federation.
It added that the partnership will begin with $2.05 million (Sh220 million) in the first year, and increments by 5 percent in the second year, and 10 percent in the subsequent years.
“Our players and club officials have had it rough over the past few years because of an underfunded league,” Mwendwa said.
Mwendwa said that the work did not end with the FKF landing a title partner adding that it was his vision to have every team have its own sponsor.
“We want the league to be independent. FKF will find partners for them but will let them decide how they spend the money. I am looking forward to seeing every club in the league have its own sponsor aside from the league’s title partner.”
Women’s football, which Mwendwa has always committed to developing, will also be a beneficiary of the deal.
“We will also commit Sh10 million of the License fees paid by our partners to the Kenya Women Premier League,” he said.
Betking Kenya is set to be officially unveiled as a partner in September, together with the new league logo.
The Kenyan Premier League has been without a sponsor since August 2019 when online betting firm Sportpesa cancelled all sports sponsorship in Kenya with immediate effect.
Sportpesa cited “punitive measures” by regulators including delayed licence renewal and the suspension of paybill numbers which resulted in a significant reduction in the level of business operations.”
