KPL may lose its sponsorship should FKF take charge: Aduda

The Kenyan Premier League sponsors are likely to opt out should FKF make real their threats of taking over the running of the top tier league come next year.

Gor Mahia CEO Lordvic Aduda, while speaking on  Radio Citizen sports show Michezo na Burudani  on Sunday February 16, said the current league sponsorship contract was an arrangement between KPL and the sponsors.

According to Aduda, failure by FKF to renew the KPL contract would mean the sponsors of the top-tier competition will “walk out” since they have no contract with FKF as far as the league’s top division is concerned.

“They will have to look for fresh sponsors since one agreement partner in the agreement will no longer be in the deal as was a requirement in the contract ,’’ explained Aduda.

Last month FKF president Nick Mwendwa said FKF will not renew its contract with KPL saying they will form an independent entity to run the same league.

Bad blood between the two football governing bodies is not news to Kenyans. Before the beginning of last season, the tussle over the composition of the top-tier competition saw the two entities lock horns at the Sports Disputes Tribunal.

Mwendwa had indicated that the body to be formed will see the chairman elected unlike in the current KPL structure where the league winners automatically produce the league chairman.

Aduda, in his interview, saw no need of depriving KPL of the responsibility of running the league but suggested the two bodies should come together and give suggestions on how to better the running of the league.

“If it were not for selfish interests, they could still sit and reach a mutual understanding on how to better things instead of FKF  forming a new entity to do the same job,’’ asserted Aduda.

He noted that there is a provision in the FIFA statutes that allows contracting a body to run the league and that many countries do that.

The Gor CEO said he is not against FKF taking over  the running of the league but says  “building a house when your current house is not leaking is a waste of time and money”.

The Kenyan Premier League has for the last few seasons enjoyed the sponsorship of a betting firm which also sponsors a number of teams in the top tier league.