After a season marred by chaos, walkovers and near collapse, fallen giants Nzoia Sugar FC have been handed a lifeline—one they hope will fuel a swift return to Kenya’s Premier League.
The Bungoma-based side, relegated to the National Super League (NSL) at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, found themselves in dire straits, crippled by financial woes, stripped of their key players and barely able to honour fixtures.
At one point, they were forced to forfeit seven matches due to a lack of resources. The club are currently placed 13th place on the NSL log with 39 points.
But on Saturday, the winds of fortune shifted. West Kenya Sugar Company, through managing director Tejveer Rai, pledged financial backing for the club’s 2025/26 campaign, a sponsorship deal that may yet breathe new life into a side steeped in history since its founding in 1982.
“We are delighted to oversee the transition of Nzoia Sugar FC into Nzoia Sugar (2025). Just as we are working to revive the factory’s machines, we are equally committed to reviving this great football club,” said George Muruli, head of external affairs and communication at West Kenya Sugar, speaking on behalf of Rai.
Muruli outlined a robust blueprint beyond financial aid, one that includes technical and administrative support, enhanced player welfare, and grassroots development.
“Our philosophy is to integrate sports with social development. We do not just invest in teams, we invest in people. A sports career is short, and we must think about what happens after their illustrious career,” Muruli noted.
Club captain Emmanuel Esekon said the players were rejuvenated by the sponsorship deal. “It has been a tough period since the previous sponsorship was withdrawn. Paying rent, getting food, and travelling for matches was a nightmare,” Esekon said.
“Now that Nzoia Sugar (2025) is backing us, the morale of the players is high. We are ready to fight to return to the Premier League where we belong,” he added.
Head coach Charles Odero echoed that sentiment, describing the sponsorship as nothing short of salvation. “We were in the Premier League, but financial challenges saw us relegated to the National Super League,” said Odero. "After our sponsorship was cut, things quickly fell apart. We lost more than seven players to competitors, and others went back to their villages,” said Odero.
He revealed that sometimes they were forced to travel with a lean team of 15 players and played matches on an empty stomach. “Despite all that, the boys stayed committed. Now that we have secured sponsorship, I have no doubt we are going to earn our place in the top-tier league,” said Odero.
Club chairman Evans Kadenge described the intervention as “a godsend,” noting that the team’s future is now secured. “This club was on the brink of collapse, but now we have hope again. Our vision remains to tap into and nurture young talent. The future is bright,” Kadenge said.
Even the club’s loyal supporters, who have endured heartbreak and hardship alongside their team, welcomed the news with open arms.
“Nzoia Sugar FC are more than a football club—it’s a community. When sponsorship ended, we turned to local support, but it was tough. This intervention has saved the club,” said fans’ chairman David Wanjala.
