Sports betting operator Betika has become the primary sponsor of Kenyan Premier League club Sofapaka. The deal amounts to Sh50m and has a duration of one year.
Betika’s general manager Lucy Muchira commented that the company was happy to give back to the community by developing sporting talent. He added that Sofapaka was “a club that embodies the Kenyan spirit” and one which has performed very well in the complicated football environment of the country.
In turn, club president Elly Kalekwa expressed hope that the government would reconsider its decision to raise the betting and gaming tax from seven to fifty per cent.
Sofapaka captain George Maelo promised to Betika that his team would do its best to live up to the sponsor’s expectations for silver medals in the Premier League championship. In addition, he expressed the willingness of the team to promote the sports betting firm’s brand.
Betika is the only company with local shareholding able to afford sponsorship of such scale.