Geoffrey Kiptanui Chepchilat after winning the SportPesa Mega Jackpot Bonus of Sh21,000,850. [PHOTO/COURTESY]
Betting firm Sportpesa have taken issue with Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario over what they said was “a reckless and irresponsible statement from him” daring the firm to withdraw their sports sponsorships.
Through their sponsorship manager Yvonne Namai, Sportpesa said that Wario “had gone too far” in his directive that asked them to contact his office before penning down sponsorship deals with teams or sports federations.
“Sportpesa is a private firm and asking us to channel our sponsorships through his ministry so that they can give us taxation waiver is pushing things a little bit far,” Namai said, adding that it is the clubs and federations which approach them for sponsorship.
“It’s unfortunate the minister can speak that way when we have been open as stakeholders,” argued Namai.
According to the CS, the betting firms are minting billions of money which needs to be mainstreamed.
“You are making billions of shillings and throwing little money around and you are telling us not to tax you is wrong. We are going to tax you as long as you are in Kenya,” Wario said.