Kenyans have raised questions over the new sponsor for the country’s football Premier League after the company representatives failed to show up at the unveiling event.
This follows Thursday’s announcement by Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa that Nigeria’s Betking will sponsor the league for five years in a deal worth Sh1.2 billion.
Kenyans wondered why SportPesa, a Kenyan grown company was pushed out of the market while a Nigerian company which does not even sponsor its own country’s league has been allowed to take over the sponsorship.
“Uhuruto government is just a bunch of clowns... You kick out Sportpesa then allow a foreign betting company to sponsor the KPL…” tweeted Kenyan Poet @KenyanPatriot11
Another tweeter user by the name Baba Kyrah@JacksonLuvusi said: “The government killed a homegrown betting firm SportPesa just to allow a foreign betting firm to come and sponsor sports…”
Airbender the wicked Skengman @kinjeketile said: “I hope the risk people at Betking have done their maths. The same Kenyan government closed down SportPesa which sponsored the Football League because betting is killing the youth.”
Some stakeholders have also cried foul that they were not consulted before the decision was made. On Facebook, debate was heated on page KPL Chat where members raised fears of match fixing.
“…next season we are ready for fixed matches Betking Naija” wrote Kip Kip on the group.
Former league sponsors SportPesa never used to give wagers on the local league as a policy to protect its integrity.
Kakamega Homeboyz owner Cleophas Shimanyula accused FKF chairman of playing politics with the issue and asked Kenyan authorities to investigate the Nigerian firm.
