Football
A New Dawn for Kenyan Football? The Federation of Kenyan Football Activates a Redemption Move on Kenyan Premier League Clubs
The Federation of Kenyan Football is attempting to revive the Kenyan Premier League by increasing prize money and securing broadcast partnerships.
Image Credits: FKF
The notion that the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) clubs are playing for nothing can be rationalized by the fact that significant questions remain unanswered regarding the totality of the prize money that participating teams are expected to receive.
The once vibrant league in the continent has been in Premier League red alert for a couple of seasons, but the last two campaigns seems to be worse. For instance, at the conclusion of the 2022/2023 season, the Federation of Kenyan Football (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa announced the lack of prize money for the winner.
This move dampened the spirits of players and fans and displayed the incompetence of FKF. However, a lot was expected for the just concluded 2023/2024 season given the announcement that Azam Tv and Kenya Broadcasting Company (KBC) had reached an agreement of a seven-year deal worth 145 million shillings annually, with an increment of 10% for the subsequent seasons.
This, coupled with teams managing to acquire sponsorships albeit in small proportions, injects optimism and restores hope in the League.
The Prize Money Migraine
Sofapaka captain Humphrey Mieno spoke to SportsBoom.com in an exclusive interview where he broke down the effect of prize money on football development.
Reflecting on the prize money, the 16-capped Harambee stars player highlighted the importance of FKF and KPL organizers being transparent with prize money so that players know what is at stake.
“Players are in limbo because once they start the season without any knowledge of any consistent prize money, they lose the zeal to follow their passion which affects accountability with the returns they acquire from football as well as development of the product that is put out there to the consumers which are the fans,” he told SportsBoom.com.
At the time of the interview, Gor Mahia were to pocket KES 5 million as prize money for winning the 2023/2024 FKF premier league trophy. That in comparison to the budget of more than 65 million per season, highlights the disparity with which clubs are left operating with. Historically, the efficiency of the FKF Premier League operations has been impaired by financial challenges. This has led to a lack of recognition and appreciation for champions.
Image Credits: SeekLogo
“Despite players displaying talent and dedication, they are rendered unmotivated due to the absence of meaningful awards and substantial prize money,” says Mieno.
In the 2021/22 season, the meager prize for the winning team was only Sh2 million owing to an accountability crisis that had been triggered by fund misappropriation and the disbandment of FKF. The situation was even more disheartening in the 2022/23 season after the FKF announced that there would be no prize money for the winners. Mieno reiterates that these regrettable cycles of incompetence have often portrayed the FKF as uncommitted to the growth of Football talent in the country.
FKF Seeks Liberation from Enslaving Trends
In the 2023/24 season, the FKF made efforts to liberate its reputation after establishing broadcast partnership with Azam TV and Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.
This redeeming factor has increased hope for players and football fans, who now look forward to recognition, promising rewards and a heavier prize money bag. The 2023/24 season champions took home Sh5 million while Sh11 million was distributed amongst all participating teams based on their standings, as a financial boost.
In a couple of recent seasons, the FKF has been marred by lack of both direction and accountability, poor leadership and constant wrangles. These inefficiencies have haunted the prosperity of football and daunted talented players.
However, a new era might be dawning for Kenyan football given the current efforts made by FKF with regard to increasing prize money, giving financial boosts to clubs, and recognizing individual achievements of players.
Ian Mugo Wanyeki is based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a sports enthusiast with vast knowledge of different sport disciplines. Ian is a graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Kenyatta University. He is a Kenyan journalist who’s worked as a sports analyst at Covenant Television Network, as a sports reporter at NTV and as a Sports Correspondent/contributor at Quartz Africa.