Gor Mahia’s organizing secretary Judith Anyango has pleaded with the government to reinstate betting firms. A tax row has seen the government decline to renew the licenses of major betting companies including Sportpesa who were the sponsors of the Kenyan Premier League.
The move led to the company canceling all sponsorships, a decision that is crippling the growth of sports in Kenya. Speaking to a local TV station on Tuesday, Judith Anyango pleaded with the relevant authorities to solve the issue and allow betting firms back in business.
”The Government needs to resolve this row that they have with betting firms and let them operate freely in Kenya. Not many other corporates invest in sports as betting firms do. Failure to let betting firms operate in the country will only bring negative effects to Kenyan sports,” Anyango said.
The Gor Mahia official further revealed how the club is struggling to pay players and other staff since SportPesa canceled its sponsorship with the club and the Kenyan Premier League.
”We have not paid players for months and none of this would have happened with the sponsorships available. Clubs are struggling and as a result, the players are too!” she added.
Gor Mahia has been having financial difficulties this season and had to be bailed out by the Government after failing to raise funds for their trip to Algeria to face USM Alger in the CAF Champions League qualifiers. The uncertainty clearly hampered the team’s preparations and they eventually lost the tie 6-1 on aggregate.