Club Media Liaisons and Sports Journalists Seminar Held in Nairobi Ahead of Saturday Kick-Off
The SportPesa League is targeting a bigger and more engaging fan experience as the 2026/2027 season gets underway on Saturday, with stakeholders seeking to increase stadium attendance, strengthen club brands and expand the league’s visibility locally and internationally.
Club media officers, photographers and sports journalists converged in Nairobi on Wednesday for a seminar organised by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) in partnership with the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) and title sponsors SportPesa.
The forum provided an opportunity for stakeholders to review the previous season and discuss ways of strengthening media coverage, fan engagement and commercial opportunities around the league.
SportPesa Partnerships and Sponsorships Manager Japheth Akhulia said the sponsor wants to see the league evolve into an experience that appeals to families and attracts more supporters to stadiums.
“We want to make the league an experience and bring fans to the stadium, bring kids along. It’s the media that can help create the buzz. Opportunities abound to even do more,” Akhulia said.
He said the league had gained international visibility during the 2025/2026 season, with its content attracting attention from audiences in Asia, America and Europe.
“Last season the league attracted attention from as far afield as Asia, America and Europe. We can grow the league by the information the media sends out there,” he said.
Akhulia also said the sponsor was interested in incorporating celebrities who genuinely support the league while strengthening the overall matchday experience.
He welcomed increased broadcast capacity, noting that Azam TV’s additional outside broadcast vans could help improve coverage of league matches.
“At the end of the day we want to build the league, build the teams, but most importantly build players who make the teams in the league,” Akhulia said.
Strong 2025/2026 Season
Akhulia described the 2025/2026 campaign as an important foundation for further growth, highlighting seven monthly awards, 331 live broadcasts on Azam TV, the Annual Gala awards ceremony, 34 matchdays played as scheduled and five All Access episodes.
He also cited the Twende Game initiative, which gained momentum during the season as part of efforts to improve stadium attendance and fan engagement.
According to SportPesa, other strengths of the previous campaign included strong stadium attendance, competitive title and relegation races, established derby rivalries, broad KBC and Azam broadcast reach, consistent monthly awards and growing recognition of the SportPesa League brand.
More Fan Engagement Planned
For the 2026/2027 season, SportPesa has identified several opportunities aimed at taking fan engagement beyond individual matchdays.
Among the proposals are packaging major derbies as monthly, always-on properties, expanding merchandise and fan rewards, developing a central digital home for the SportPesa League and connecting clubs with regional branches and community audiences.
The sponsor also plans to hold a Fans Fun Day during the season as part of efforts to create more interactive experiences for supporters.
The initiatives are expected to give clubs additional opportunities to build their identities and deepen relationships with supporters beyond the traditional 90 minutes of football.
SJAK President James Waindi welcomed the seminar, saying collaboration between the media, FKF and sponsors would remain important in growing the league.
“We as SJAK commit to responsible and professional coverage. We will work with FKF and SportPesa to ensure the SportPesa League story is told to the world,” Waindi said.
With the new season set to kick off on Saturday, stakeholders are now looking to build on the momentum of the previous campaign while creating a more visible, commercially sustainable and supporter-focused league.
