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KBC have not broadcasted the 2024/2025 FKFPL matches despite supposedly striking a five year deal with FKF, a deal also brokered by former CS Ababu Namwamba.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has cast doubt on the transparency of the Football Kenya Federation's (FKF) broadcasting deal with Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), describing it as “shrouded with mystery.”
The deal, which allowed KBC to televise FKF Premier League matches, has come under scrutiny after the station ceased broadcasting games this season.
This unexpected halt has left Tanzanian broadcaster Azam TV as the sole provider of FKF Premier League coverage, raising concerns among football fans. The deal was initially hailed as groundbreaking, with KBC committing to invest Ksh240 million annually and broadcast two live games every weekend, alongside radio coverage across 14 stations.
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07:34 - 01.12.2023
FKFPL The inside story of how FKF reached an agreement with KBC to become broadcast partners
This is how FKF struck another record-breaking broadcasting partnership with KBC just over two and a half months after partnering with Azam TV
The FKF-KBC partnership, signed in late 2023, was meant to last seven years, with funding from the Sports, Arts, and Social Development Fund (SASDF) approved by President William Ruto. It complemented Azam TV’s pay-TV deal and aimed to provide financial stability to Kenyan football clubs.
Former FKF President Nick Mwendwa had celebrated the agreement, stating:
“The deal will give Kenyan clubs KES 10 million per year each.”
However, funding issues have emerged, with the Ministry of Sports reportedly withholding the necessary resources to sustain the agreement. Murkomen criticized the arrangement, suggesting it lacked proper accountability and clarity.
In a recent interview with NTV, Murkomen did not hold back:
“That deal is shrouded with mystery. There is no clarity or accountability on that deal.”
He questioned why the government should support KBC instead of engaging a broadcaster capable of directly investing in football clubs. Murkomen also criticized Mwendwa’s approach, implying it relied too heavily on government support rather than private sector partnerships.
“This is the problem I had with Nick. You go sign a deal with a sports broadcasting house that has no capacity to give money to the teams, then ask the government to come and support the station to go and cover these clubs.
“Why can’t we give the deal of airing Kenyan Premier League matches to somebody who has the capacity to invest into clubs? And I hope this is one of the things the new team will do in office, to make sure they are sourcing money for themselves.”
“Why can’t we give the deal of airing Kenyan Premier League matches to somebody who has the capacity to invest into clubs? I hope the new FKF team will address this.”
Murkomen urged the new FKF leadership under Hussein Mohammed and former Harambee Stars midfielder McDonald Mariga to prioritise transparency and emulate the Kenya Rugby Union’s (KRU) success in attracting private sponsors.
He pointed to KRU Chairman Alexander ‘Sasha’ Mutai, whose leadership has brought back corporate sponsors like Sportpesa and Safaricom. These partnerships have injected nearly Ksh184 million into Kenyan rugby, funding both men’s and women’s national teams for their World Rugby Series campaigns.
“The harsh reality is, on the football side of it, no private company wants to come and put money into our football because there is no faith in the federation,” Murkomen emphasised.
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