28 May 2020 – The Kenyan government has announced that 12 needy Kenyan premier League clubs are set to receive a monthly stipend of 100USD (Ksh10,000) for the next two months with the possibility of an extension to three, in a bid to aid them cushion from the effects of the COVID-19 endemic.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed says they picked 12 needy clubs from the 18-team league to kick start the process which will be reviewed for any case of improvement.
“We are going to release Sh10,000 per month for 30 players and 5 technical officers. This will be a total of 420 beneficiaries. The stimulus package will be for the next two months with a possibility of extension of a third month should we be able to mobilize more funds from well wishers and our partners,” Amina said.
“We have agreed that we are starting with KPL because we know the difficulty they are going through”
She added; “We have agreed that we are starting with KPL because we know the difficulty they are going through. After verification, we have come up with a final list of those footballers suffering the most. We will begin with them and continue rolling out the program for the next 15 days while taking stock.”
The move will come asa huge relief for clubs especially those who do not have sponsors. While some clubs enjoy solid corporate sponsorship, a massive section of the top flight have community based clubs who are struggling to raise money to pay salaries at a time when football has been stopped.
The Kenyan Premier League announced the cancellation of all leagues due to the virus and this means there will be no football until at least August when the new season is scheduled to start.
(source: CAFonline.com)