This archive report was first published on 8 October 2019.
The Kenya Premier League is facing a major crisis, with no sponsor in sight to salvage the league. Despite five gameweeks already being played, the federation has yet to find a new main sponsor.
As reported in 2019, the league's previous sponsor, SportPesa, was forced to close shop in Kenya after a continued tussle with the government. However, the betting company had already withdrawn the sponsorship when it was still in talks with regulators over license renewal.
The League's organizers were given a heads up that things might not work out between the government and SportPesa before the league started, but there were fewer efforts by the organizers to look for new sponsors.
According to reports, if the league directors fail to secure a sponsor by half-season, the league will go back to its old worst situation of walk-overs and non-payment of referees. This would be a devastating blow to Kenyan football, which has already seen a decline in recent years.
Individual clubs are also struggling to find sponsors, with some resorting to showing their matches live on Facebook or providing live updates on social media. Wazito FC has even gone a step further and shows its matches through its subsidiary sports channel Madgoat TV.
The lack of sponsorship issue is not only affecting the league but also individual clubs. SportPesa's exit has greatly affected Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards, who were relying on the firm for funding. Kenyan Champions Gor Mahia was bundled out of the CAF Champions league mainly because of a lack of funds, and K'Ogalo also lost the return leg fixture played at the Moi International Sports Centre – Kasarani.
Gor Mahia's perennial rivals, AFC Leopards, are also suffering the same fate. Ingwe has resulted in requests for funds from its fans, using the phrase 'Sponsor ni wewe' (You are the sponsor) in their campaign to collect money that will help the club.
