Club ownership: Leopards to engage diaspora fans online
AFC Leopards members and fans during a town hall meeting in Mombasa.
What you need to know:
- Club patron Alex Muteshi said the club stands to attract strategic investors.
- Taskforce has six months to complete consultations and present their findings.
AFC Leopards taskforce has organised an online session to engage diaspora based and independent fans who missed the physical townhall meetings over the proposed transitioning of the club into a corporate entity.
On Friday, the taskforce Secretary, Richard Ekhalie, said the online session will be held on Monday December 16, beginning 7am.
Ekhalie has also invited club members who missed the physical meetings to join the online engagement.
AFC Leopards’ National Executive Committee (NEC) formed the eight-member taskforce in August to collect opinions from registered members on the club’s future.
The idea of transforming the club into a self-sustaining and profitable organisation was discussed at length during the club’s 60th anniversary celebration in March.
The taskforce has so far reached 5,000 registered branch members across the country. The taskforce has also toured Tanzania to benchmark with Tanzanian giants Yanga’s corporate model.
Led by former club official Vincent Shimoli and club patron Alex Muteshi the taskforce was given a six-month timeframe to complete consultations and present their findings to the NEC in February 2025.
Thereafter, the members will deliberate on the findings chart the way forward for the club during the Annual General Meeting in June 2025.
Ekhalie said the Kenyan Premier League side stands to attract strategic investors once it transforms into a corporate entity.
AFC Leopards eight-member taskforce and club members during a town hall meeting in Mombasa.
“The capital injection will enable the club to invest in competitive playing and technical units that can turn around performance on the pitch within months,” Ekhalie said.
The former CEO of the club said this was among the submissions the taskforce received from members in Mombasa last weekend.
The taskforce also explained to branch members the connection between investment and accountability, transparency and performance, and how they relate to a solid governance structure that promotes the same.
“Capital investment follows a solid structure that promotes accountability, transparency and performance,” said Ekhalie in one of the presentations.
He pointed out that the same cannot be said of the current society structure that is weak and porous, thus unattractive to investors.
Apart from immediate investment in the playing and technical units, capital inflows into the club will be channeled towards talent development from the grassroots and through structured academies. This will have a ripple effect on the supply chain of the main squad.
He explained that the other immediate benefit of the capital injection is the sporting infrastructure development with proper professional training facilities prioritised. With increased revenue, the club will be able to upgrade its facilities and infrastructure, which directly impacts player performance.
The other members of the taskforce who were present in Mombasa are treasurer and club patron Alex Muteshi, assistant secretary Laureen Aseka, Clarence Jumba, Bramwel Aino and Nelly Mwashi.
