This archive report was first published on 21 October 2019.
Kenya's top soccer league, the Kenya Premier League (KPL), is facing a financial crisis that threatens its very existence. The league's biggest challenge is paying its teams, referees, and other stakeholders.
At the center of this crisis is Gor Mahia, the 18-time soccer champions, who are demanding Sh4.5 million from KPL after winning the 2018/19 title. The team's treasurer, Sally Bolo, claims that KPL's management has failed to pay them the prize money five months after they clinched the trophy.
According to Bolo, Gor Mahia won the league when KPL had a sponsor, Sportpesa, which paid them in reasonable bits and timelines. However, since Sportpesa closed its operations in Kenya, KPL has failed to pay them, leaving the team in a thick financial crisis.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that KPL is also broke, and its management is struggling to manage the league. The league's Chief Executive, Jack Oguda, has not responded to the looming crisis that threatens the fall of Kenya's top soccer league.
As the debt-ridden Kenyan soccer championship demands continue to pile up, the hopes of managing the league are hanging by a thread. The league's fixture has been forced to be rescheduled due to cash crunch, and it remains to be seen how KPL will navigate this financial storm.
