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The former Harambee Stars forward says Kenyan clubs are struggling to attract investors because they are not named correctly.
Former Harambee Stars forward Taiwo Atieno says Kenyan clubs have set themselves up for failure because of the way they are registered.
Atieno feels Kenyan sides and the league are struggling to attract investors since they are not structured in a professional way, a key component of any serious club that wants to make money from the sport.
“I realised that many of our clubs are registered as societies or, if they are incorporated, they are not formally named as, “name football club limited,” Atieno shared through a social media post.
“Why does this matter? Well, there’s a very good reason why clubs like Manchester United Limited, Arsenal Football Club Limited, English Football Association Limited, Liverpool Football Club Limited, and Chelsea Football Club Limited are all officially named and registered as companies.
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16:31 - 01.01.2025
‘We may never see another Wanyama’ - Former Harambee Stars forward casts doubts on potential of Kenyan players
The ex-striker fears Kenya may never produce another player of Victor Wanyama’s calibre due to a number of factors affecting the country’s football.
“It’s not just for trademark purposes—it’s essential for the legal and administrative operations of running a professional club. Beside the almost non-existent brands in Kenya football, this explains why seasoned investors don’t take Kenyan Premier League clubs seriously.”
To address the issue the former Rochdale striker says there needs to be an overhaul of the entire structure of governance, something that AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia are currently exploring with a view of attracting external investment.
“How do we change this? The structure of our professional clubs is the core issue, and it must be addressed in order to give parents, kids, fans and investors the confidence to support the Kenyan professional football clubs,” he added.
“This calls for urgent action. Otherwise, we may never see another Victor Wanyama. This leads us to the current situation where players and coaches lack the financial support and resources they need to thrive.
“Clubs are poorly structured and not set up to attract investment. Take AFC Leopards, Gor Mahia, and Mathare United as examples—none of them are incorporated as limited companies under their own names. Kenyan professional football is at a massive crossroads. It simply cannot continue down this path. To make football business sustainable something drastic has to change.”
Kenyan clubs have been left behind by some of their regional counterparts with Tanzanian giants Simba and Yanga now making revenues of over Ksh1 billion annually thanks to a change in their governance structure.
Currently, Leopards are in the process of moving away from the community to a corporate model which will see 51 percent of the club’s shares allocated to signed-up members, while strategic investors would hold the remaining 49 percent.
A Corporate Task Force was formed last year and collected views from key stakeholders before visiting Yanga for benchmarking. The report is set to be tabled for adoption by members at this year’s Annual General Meeting.
Gor Mahia have also proposed a similar structure although the changes have faced resistance from some quarters.
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