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Kenya has always been one of Africa’s key sporting powerhouses. Athletics, of course, has always led the way with a string of world-class athletes playing an essential ambassadorial as well as sporting role. Yet there are signs that other sporting disciplines such as aquatics, rugby and whisper it – football are finally starting to deliver on a more regular [ads1]basis. Yet many observers suggest that this is merely the tip of an enormous pool of unfulfilled talent that just never has the opportunity to shine. The legacy of decades of next to no government investment has been crumbling tracks, next to no formal coaching certification, and an overreliance on charity and private investment.
When Kenya decided to open up to regulated online gambling companies, the agreement was that in exchange for their permission to operate that they would also invest within the domestic sporting infrastructure. In some cases, this has been followed to the letter and even beyond (place an extra plus point on any Bet9ja review) and in others not so well. Money has certainly been spent on marketing, sponsorship and creating job opportunities, which – the theory claims – will eventually trickle down to grassroots sports development anyway. However, what seemed to be at least a work in progress is starting to show signs of creaking under the pressure.
In January 2018 the Kenyan government decided to place a blanket 35% taxation upon all profits made by gambling concerns within the country – an eyewatering sum that took many within the industry by total surprise. How was this figure decided? Nobody is quite sure. There was no public debate or Senate vote, implying that the sum was plucked out of the air at a Presidential level. In response to this, a number of Kenyan gaming companies have canceled, suspended or drastically reduced their commitment to investing in sports as an agreed part of their remit to operate. If we take it as a truth that money is essential for unlocking Kenya’s sporting potential, what ramifications may this tax-grab have?
One of the often overlooked facts surrounding this debate has been that Kenya has enjoyed a considerable amount of private sports funding for many decades. All those Olympic medals do not go unnoticed, and millions of shilling are pumped into the country every year by multinationals and charities to further add to this legacy. Sports betting companies have only been investing for three or so years, which in contrast points to a much deeper problem. While gambling money is surely welcomed, it is not necessarily quite as important as it likes to think itself.
Given the chaos that surrounded the administration of the Kenyan team to Rio in 2016, it was time to start pointing fingers at sheer mismanagement and unprofessionalism off the track. Most of those who took the blame managed to eventually dodge the flak and are still in positions of authority when it comes to domestic sports management and development. This is where the real problem lies. The government has pledged to use the extra taxes raised from sports betting towards their own initiatives aiming to improve grassroots sports. Is it wise to place in the hands of administrators who have a track record of total failure?
Most outsiders find it quite remarkable how Kenya has managed to develop such a rich sporting pedigree against the odds their athletes face. The problem is that there could be so much more! Private initiatives invest in Kenyan support with the sheer intent of developing winning athletes to associate their brand with. To put it bluntly – there is an end objective. History demonstrates that this simply cannot be said about how the Kenyan government and their sporting bodies have performed in the past, and quite likely into the future. No doubt those world stars will still continue to come through, but it is a terrible shame that it is a mere fraction of what may have been.