Beermaker Tusker has agreed to a new three-year, Sh 170M ($2.02M) sponsorship with the Kenya Premier League, according to William Njuguna of THE STAR. The league will now be known as the Tusker Premier League, and the official unveiling of the sponsorship will be on Sept. 4. KPL CEO Jack Oguda said it had taken the KPL four years to convince Tusker to sponsor the league. Oguda: “We have had negotiations over the last four years trying to convince them to come on board and sponsor the league. Finally we have struck a deal with them.” Oguda said that players and the league's 16 clubs will "benefit immensely from the deal." He asked the clubs to start "professionalising their operations." Oguda: “We expect to see the clubs thriving and being run as professional outfits. The clubs will benefit from the injection of cash from our new sponsor.” According to the KPL’s policy, clubs are entitled to 65% of the total kitty, which will also see "the prize money for winning the league enhanced." The venue and time of the launch has yet to be announced. South African pay-TV channel Supersport will "remain the broadcast partner for the league" (THE STAR, 8/22).
