Kenya Power Company will terminate its sponsorship to Kenyan Premier League side Western Stima by the end of June.
The termination will also affect National Super League sides Coast Stima and Nairobi Stima which are all sponsored by the company.
WITHDRAWAL
Western Stima Chairman Laban Jobita confirmed that he has received a letter from the company withdrawing its sponsorship on Tuesday.
The company cited low revenue returns on its business due to the negative effects of coronavirus pandemic as the main reason for its withdrawal.
“KPLC says their business has gone down thus they are unable to meet their sponsorship obligations to the team. This means we shall not have a sponsor by the end of this month,” Jobita told Nairobi News.
However, he assured players and members of the technical bench that they will receive this month’s salary without any delay.
“We don’t have any salary arrears and our playing unit will receive this month pay as usual,” he said.
MAJOR SETBACK
Western Stima players took a 50 percent pay cut at the end of April, without their consent, almost two months after the first case of coronavirus was reported in the country.
KPLC has sponsored Western Stima since 2015 and Jobita says the withdrawal is a major setback as the team was one of the most stable teams in the league.
“Western Stima players were getting their salaries on time but things will be very different in future if we don’t get another sponsor,” he lamented.
Stima coached by youthful tactician Salim Babu are seventh on the KPL standings with 36 points.
The league stands indefinitely suspended as Football Kenya Federation and Kenyan Premier League Limited tussle in court on the fate of the season.
