The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has announced that it has appointed BetKing as its official title sponsor by signing a five-year deal worth KES1.2bn (£8.7m/€9.6m/$11.1m). BetKing is its first official title sponsor since the withdrawal of SportPesa from the market last year.
In terms of the deal with the Nigeria-based operator’s Kenyan subsidiary, the league will now be known as the BetKing Premier League with each club receiving an amount of KES8m per year.
Following a dispute with authorities over taxes, Kenya’s largest betting operator, SportPesa, ceased all sponsorships in its home country in August 2019, leaving the league without an official sponsor and a number of clubs in the country relying on donations from fans in order to continue paying players. Kenya’s second-largest betting operator Betin, also withdrew from the betting market in Kenya entirely after another new betting tax was added, and have not yet returned.
FKF President Nick Mwendwa, commented that their players and club officials have had it rough over the past few years because of an under-funded league and he was happy to announce BetKing Kenya as their title sponsor in the biggest deal in their history.
BetKing will pay $120,000 within a week of signing the deal, followed by three installments of $693,334 paid prior to the season kicking in, within the first three months of the season and within the first six months of the season.
Kenya’s parliament passed a bill last month repealing the tax that caused SportPesa to leave. The country’s Treasury Secretary,, however, soon announced that the government will endeavor to re-introduce the controversial tax within six months.