The 2025 Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Cup champions Nairobi United have secured a landmark KSh380 million three-year deal with international betting firm SportyBet, marking the largest club sponsorship deal ever announced in Kenyan football history.
The deal will see SportyBet become the club’s official shirt sponsor and aims to support Nairobi United’s push in the FKF Premier League and securing a return to continental football continental competitions (including the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup).
The landmark partnership marks a major milestone for Nairobi United FC, providing the club with substantial financial backing to strengthen its operations, develop football talent and compete at a higher level in Kenyan and regional football.
The partnership comes at a time when financial sustainability remains one of the biggest challenges facing football clubs across the country.
Many teams continue to struggle with the cost of transport, training facilities, equipment, player welfare and other expenses required to operate competitively.
Without reliable sponsorship arrangements, clubs often find themselves depending on limited contributions from officials, supporters and well-wishers to meet their obligations.
Nairobi United chairman Samwel Born Maina welcomed the SportyBet partnership as a turning point that would help the club overcome some of the financial obstacles that had previously limited its progress.
Maina reflected on the difficult journey the club has travelled, revealing that financial limitations had previously made even basic football operations a major challenge.
He explained that the club had experienced periods when securing sufficient funds to travel for matches was a struggle, forcing its leadership to make difficult decisions while keeping the team’s ambitions alive.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, who also serves as the club’s patron challenged the team to set its sights on nothing short of the FKF Premier League title this season, saying the sponsorship provided an opportunity to achieve a major milestone since the club’s establishment in 2018.
“Our aim is to win the league this season. It will be our greatest achievement since the inception of the club in 2018. I am so proud of how far we have come. Getting a sponsor to give us this huge amount of money is not easy, and we appreciate SportyBet for partnering with us. Now it is up to us as a team to deliver results,” Sakaja said.
SportyBet Kenya Country Manager Dianne Maina expressed her delight at the partnership, saying the company was proud to associate with a club that represents the capital city and boasts a history of winning silverware.
The sponsorship was unveiled on November 5, 2026, at an exclusive event that brought together Nairobi United FC’s management, football fans, content creators, sports personalities and other invited guests for an evening of celebration, entertainment and renewed optimism about the future of Kenyan football.
The unveiling ceremony was also attended by several Kenyan football legends, including the FKF Vice President who is the first is the first Kenyan to play and win the UEFA Champions League, former Harambee Stars striker Dennis Oliech, former national team captain Musa Otieno, ex-Tusker player Edward Karanja and Sammy Shollei, among others.
SportyBet is the Official Gambling Partner of the Spanish top flight league known as La Liga also for Real Madrid in Africa and Manchester City and a strategic sponsorship alliance with the 2024 Mexico’s Campeón de Campeones winners Cancún FC.
One of the most decorated football coaches s of all time and current Real Madrid manager José Mourinho “The Special One” is the official brand ambassador for SportyBet in Mexico and Brazil
