Sofapaka president Elly Kalekwa has revealed that it cost him approximately Ksh60 million to bankroll the team in the concluded 2023-2024 Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) season. The 2009 Premier League champions survived relegation by a whisker, finishing third from bottom and thus, had to win the promotion/relegation playoff to retain their place in the top tier. Part of their struggles in the past campaign were attributed to insufficient funds to run the team effectively as the club has not had a commercial partner in the last two years. ##GALERIJA##Change of personnel in the technical bench, exit of foreign players and inability to attract elite ones in the mid-season transfer window painted a grim picture of the financial situation at the club. It has however emerged that the sole proprietor used tens of millions to cater for financial needs in the season even though reports suggest that players went for months without pay. “It was a difficult season for us but we are grateful that we survived relegation. Running the club from my pockets has not been an easy task. I used more than 60 million shillings in the concluded season,” he disclosed. ‘Bure kabisa’ – Sofapaka president Elly Kalekwa lambastes Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno in bare-knuckle rantKalekwa admits that it would have been worse if the financial grants from the league’s broadcast partners were not coming by. The league enjoys sponsorship from media partners; Azam and state broadcaster KBC. “The grants helped us a lot. It would have been a different case if we were not getting their financial support,” Kalekwa opened up. With the season done and dusted, Sofapaka will shift focus to righting the wrongs that nearly cost them a slot in the top tier. The club will require a significant amount to be fully ready in the new season as there are pending legal cases with former players . Sofapaka retain top flight status following win over NaivasThe team will need a new head coach who meets the requirement set out by the country’s football governing body earlier in the week. A new bus is also a necessity after losing the one they had to auctioneers. “We are trying our best to get a sponsor. We need money to get some of the things right before the start of the season. I believe we will solve everything and have a smooth season, ” he added.
