This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
Kenyan Premier League (KPL) teams are set to kick off the 2019-2020 season on August 30, 2019, as earlier scheduled, despite the exit of title sponsor SportPesa.
The league's kick off had been thrown into uncertainty after SportPesa, a leading gaming firm, cancelled all its sports sponsorships in the country following a prolonged tax dispute with the government.
On August 16, 2019, SportPesa announced that they would be cancelling their Sh259.7 million title sponsorship deal with KPL, which was in its third year.
However, with record champions Gor Mahia expected to clash with FKF Shield Cup winners Bandari FC in the curtain-raiser on Sunday in Machakos, it's an indication that the league will start without a sponsor.
According to KPL CEO Jack Oguda, the exit of SportPesa will not affect the league's kick off, and the organization has already started looking for a new partner.
"The main challenge will be to pay the referees, grants to clubs, and administration's funding," Oguda said.
He added that the league believes most clubs have their own sponsors, so whatever comes from the league in terms of grants will just be a plus to them.
