This archive report was first published on 4 October 2019.
The Kenyan Premier League (KPL) 2019/20 season is facing a possible halt due to financial challenges, with only four rounds of matches played so far.
According to KPL CEO Jack Oguda, several teams have officially requested to stop honouring matches until the situation is sorted.
The financial crisis has been exacerbated by the cancellation of all sports sponsorships in the country by gaming firm SportPesa, the official sponsor of the league, after the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) declined to renew their operating license.
As a result, referees have not been paid since the league started, and the KPL itself is barely surviving with employees going unpaid for the past four months.
Despite the challenges, Oguda said that they have convinced most teams to honour matches this weekend, but warned that the league could be forced to halt until the financial challenges are fixed.
"We have held meetings with prospective sponsors but we are yet to seal any deal for the league. It is a very big challenge especially for the teams that have no sponsorship and depend on the KPL grants to cover their logistics," Oguda told Nation Sport on October 4, 2019.
"This weekend's matches will go on despite the fact that some teams have officially told us it is impossible for them to honour the games. We have told them to hold on and play just this weekend as we look for a solution next week," Oguda added.
Earlier last week, Gor Mahia players went on a go slow ahead of their league match against KCB at Machakos demanding salaries and allowances from August, while AFC Leopards players refused to train ahead of their game against Sony Sugar on Saturday afternoon, citing unpaid salaries and allowances for two months.
Meanwhile, nine matches have been scheduled as the league enters round five.
