The Government of Kenya has committed its support towards Kenya Open’s European Tour status for the next three years.
Speaking during the prize giving of the Magical Kenya Open presented by Absa, President Uhuru Kenyatta said the sponsorship is part of a huge investment to support sports in Kenya from junior level to the national teams.
The government injected Sh253 million into the 2019 Kenya Open Golf Championship taking over the title sponsorship of the tournament that has been renamed the ‘Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship’.
Barclays Bank of Kenya, which operates in the country as Absa, has been the title sponsors for the past nine years, and part of other subsidiary firms facilitating the 2019 event.
On Sunday, Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said the status of the event will not only nurture the next generation of players but take the country to the next level.
“Last year, I made a promise and commitment at Muthaiga to help Kenya attain Tour status. We are committing our support for the next three years and we would like to call on the private sector to come forward and partner with us in this noble initiative that will market Kenya as a tourism destination," the president said.
He added: "Our intention is to make Kenya a sporting destination for all sports. This year, we have made a commitment to support all national teams. We have set aside cash to ensure we fund all team and also support the junior to realize their potential in sport."
The winner of this year’s event took home Euros 183,000 (Sh20,926,100) while the leading Kenyan Simon Ngige bagged Euros 10,650 (Sh1,217,830). The total prize kitty was Euros 1.1 million (Sh125,785,000).
