William Mwanji (centre) of Kabras Sugar charges past Vincent Onyala (left) of KCB during the Kabeberi 7s Rugby tournament at RFUEA ground in Nairobi on September 7, 2025.
Which way Kenya Cup? This is the main question as the 2025/2026 Kenya Cup, the country’s top-flight rugby competition, gets underway today without a sponsor for the umpteenth time.
Kenya Cup, which is celebrating its 55th anniversary this season, has struggled to get sponsors, and hard economic times, wrangles at Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) board and lack of proper a marketing strategy are making things worse. The league has not had a sponsor but KRU has occasionally secured partial sponsorship for the league like in 1999 and 2001 when East Africa Breweries facilitated Kenya Cup and Enterprise Cup.
There was a huge wind flow for Kenya Cup sides during the 2012 and 2013 season where clubs benefited from Safari Sevens surplus and Zuku TV sponsorship of Sh20 million. The union funded teams transport for Kenya Cup and Eric Shirley Shield leagues.
Radio Africa came in for the 2018/2019 season, with Sh2 million where the winners pocketed Sh1 million in a fund that saw the last team (10th place) get Sh75,000. Nothing tangible came from Mediamax sponsorship that saw the media house bag the broadcast rights for the Kenya Cup league.
Then last season, East African Breweries came on board from the semi-final play-offs putting in Sh10 million that saw the winner get Sh300,000, losing finalist Sh200,000, third-placed Sh100,000. There are now calls for the KRU to initiate a proper marketing strategy to professionalise the league.
Kabras Sugar Rugby Club chairman Edwin Esilaba reckons the KRU board should smell the coffee and realise they need a different approach to marketing the league.
KCB chairman Simon Mugo notes that sponsors struggle to understand what Kenya Cup is all about. Former Nondescript chairman Auka Gecheo notes that KRU has no capacity to run leagues at the same time oversee development hence Kenya Cup management needs to go the premier league way.
“Kenya Cup, at the moment, isn’t a product that someone will really invests in to expect returns. KRU needs to tell us what they are selling to sponsors?” said Esilaba.
Esilaba notes that most sponsors have moved away from conventional marketing and are now selling their products through billboards, AI and the social media.
Potential sponsors
“They are doing it themselves. Writing a proposal to a potential sponsor isn’t enough,” said Esilaba. “Sponsors, like Safaricom, want a blueprint that will bring them to masses at the lowest level where they can sell airtime.”
“It will reach a time when clubs will question the validity of the subscription fees when there is nothing in return,” said Mugo.
Gecheo said there should be a separate body to run the league to make it marketable and viable.
“KRU might have the good will and the right mindset but it's high time Kenya Cup was turned into an elite league,” said Gecheo.
Gecheo noted that sponsors will also shy away if KRU board will continue having some people who, he said, have eroded values of the game.
“The fraternity knows them. They have made rugby murky waters and they want everyone to get in. They have made it difficult for sponsors to come on board,” said Gecheo
Menengai Oilers chairman Simpson Osiemo said no league can succeed without a commercial approach.
"FKF has got their act in order and at least something is happening there. We need to make rugby attractive to corporations," said Osiemo.
Former KRU secretary general Jack Okoth said Kenya Cup should be turned into a franchise championship for sub-unions with a separate amateur league.
“All top players should be contracted to play for these sub-union franchises .”
KRU boss Harriet Okach said they are talking to potential sponsors and are keen to make Kenya Cup attractive to sponsors.
