Sofapaka president Elly Kalekwa on billions spent during club's 17-year Premier League stay
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 04.05.26. | 18:38
Batoto ba Mungu were relegated from the top-flight on Saturday, 2 May, after drawing 2-2 with Mathare United at Kasarani Annex, ending a 17-year Premier League stay
Following a 17-year storied stay in the FKF Premier League that came to a crushing end last weekend, Sofapaka chairman Elly Kalekwa says he has splurged more than Ksh1 billion of his personal resources to support the team.
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Batoto ba Mungu were relegated from the top-flight on Saturday, 2 May, after drawing 2-2 with Mathare United at Kasarani Annex, ending a 17-year Premier League stay.
Sofapaka were promoted in 2009 and made history the same year by winning the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title in their maiden year of participation.
The club has seldom had a shirt sponsor during their 17-year stay at the top, leaving the Congolese businessman to shoulder most of the club’s expenses throughout the seasons.
“Our annual budget was Ksh50 million while we were in the top tier, and most of the time, I have had to use my own personal resources to support the team since we do not have a regular shirt sponsor.
“In total, it has cost me about Ksh1.1 billion to keep the team going,” he revealed.
Two years ago, Kalekwa said one of his houses in an upmarket estate in Nairobi was auctioned as he was unable to repay a bank loan he took to support Sofapaka.
“For some of us, it is all about the passion we have for the sport. We rarely get anything back, and football in Kenya does not pay as it should.”
He lamented that the monthly grants clubs receive from Football Kenya Federation (FKF) are barely enough to cover one day's match expenses.
“Clubs receive about Ksh300,000 monthly from FKF as grants. This is not even enough to cover our match day expenses. Perhaps if we are playing in Nairobi, then it can do. That kind of money cannot even pay allowances for our players in a month,” he added.
He revealed that the only other option remaining to generate some revenue for the club is to sell players, something he says remains unreliable.
Kalekwa allayed any fears of the team being disbanded following their relegation.
“We will play in the National Super League (NSL) and fight hard to earn promotion. The team is here to stay.”
Sofapaka’s relegation did not come as a surprise; the club had survived the drop through the play-offs on a number of occasions.