Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula has maintained the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) deal with betting firm BetKing is not genuine.
On Thursday, the FKF, through president Nick Mwendwa, announced they had signed a lucrative five-year sponsorship deal worth Ksh1.2billion ahead of the new season of the Kenyan Premier League (KPL).
Mwendwa went further to state the new partners will wire the first payment in the next few days, which will be distributed to the clubs playing in the top-flight.
However, the Homeboyz boss maintained his earlier stance and does not think the deal is genuine because the FKF signed it behind the backs of the clubs and stakeholders.
“Let me be honest here, the deal they claim to have signed is not there, I can state again and again that FKF were conned, we don’t have such a deal and you guys will know this very soon,” Shimanyula told Goal on Monday.
“I have even reached out to my friends in Nigeria where they say BetKing have offices but those in the know have told me the company does not exist, so whom did they sign with the deal? And why were FKF rushing to announce the deal even without the representatives from the company?
“I want to maintain Mwendwa and his cronies are using this as a campaign gimmick to get back to the office, and when they get to the office, they will announce the deal has collapsed, they want to entice clubs with money and then tell us later there is no deal once they take over the office.
“They are looking at how they can get the votes from KPL clubs, you know all KPL clubs are not happy with the current FKF regime and now they have realised the only way to get through the elections is by lying they have secured a new sponsor, they know clubs are suffering and thus they want to use it to get votes.
“Why are they telling us that money will come in a few weeks?
"So it means they are not sure of what they signed, why can’t they say the money will come on this date, and at this time, but instead, they are saying in a few weeks from now, weeks can be months and months can be years.
“We have been taken through such scenarios and I want to state here I will not be swayed to believe there is a new sponsor, I don’t think they have anything new to tell us, they [FKF] have just been conned, it is like those witch-doctors, who lie to people your next neighbour wants to kill you and you end up giving them money for protection and it all turns out to be a huge lie.”
However, Goal can reveal BetKing is among the leading sports betting company based in Lagos, offering online services nationwide and agency services in Nigeria.
Among the offerings of the company’s services are sports betting, not restricted to football, hockey, cricket, tennis, basketball, and more, customized state-of-the-art virtual games including the exclusive Kings' League and Colour-Colour.
On Saturday, SportPesa CEO Robert Karauri cast aspersions on the deal, insisting the federation could have approached local companies for the same purpose.
Karauri signed a sponsorship deal with the KPL before SportPesa exited the country due to a battle on taxation with the government.
“FKF, even if it’s looking for votes, shouldn’t you have considered Betika or Odibet or any of the other 100 per cent licensed Kenyan companies?” Karauri tweeted.
A number of other stakeholders have also shared doubts and criticism over the terms of this deal, among FKF presidential aspirant Sam Nyamweya, KPL CEO Jack Oguda, Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier, and FKF presidential hopeful Twaha Mbarak.
