Broke KPL pleads to be rescued by the Govt

The Kenyan Premier League (KPL) Ltd has lodged a formal request to the Government for financial aid as the cash strain that has gripped the country’s top flight league hits harder.

The appeal comes amid intensified calls to have KPL suspended owing to the crisis that has rendered clubs unable to honour fixtures and forced players to go months without pay.

The KPL is currently without a title sponsor and broadcast partner and admitted it has been unable to attract corporates ‘due to the current economic situation in the country’.

“The offers being tabled do not meet the demands of the League. It takes time to formalize any sponsorship deal since most corporates operate on running budgets which were already set in the beginning of their respective financial year.

“We would like to formally plead with the Government to step in and provide a short term financial solution to facilitate the smooth running of the League.

“Notably, some of the teams are actually struggling to honour both local and international matches whilst players and officials risk losing their employment,” the KPL CEO Jack Oguda said in a statement.

Early this month, Oguda himself had hinted that they had considered halting league as an option but the KPL Governing Council resolved otherwise on Thursday.

A number of clubs have reportedly written to the KPL seeking to postponement of their matches as they no longer receive monthly grants from the league’s managing body.

Betting company SportPesa were in their third year of their Sh259.7 million title sponsorship deal with KPL when they cancelled it after a protracted tussle with the Government ended in their exit from the country.

It exposed the league to the financial strain it is currently experiencing and the KPL now wants the Government to provide more tax incentives to corporates that are supporting the sport.

“In the long run, we appeal to the Government to help clubs lobby for a change in the legal regime governing sports in the country which clubs continue to believe would help in financial self-sustainability.”