Kenya’s football giants Gor Mahia have set up a fundraising scheme that is aimed at ensuring there is financial sustainability for the club in the future.The campaign has been christened ‘2-Million Dollar Harambee’ and seeks to help the club raise funds for their smooth running.In a Chairman’s statement seen by Mozzart Sport, club Chairman Ambrose Rachier said that the formation of the fundraising scheme has been occasioned by the current financial challenges that the club is going through which have been worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic.”Having regard to the current financial challenges the club is facing and which have been compounded by the Covid – 19 pandemic, and further in view of the financial constraints experienced by the club in the past, and the executive committee having studied various financial models adopted by some successful football clubs around the globe, have resolved to adopt a hybrid of some these benchmarks and to roll out a fundraising scheme that should ensure the financial sustainability of the club in the future,” read part of the statement.All in one night. Walks out of a live interview. Goes for Gor Mahia fundraiser and gives Sh200K. Moses Kuria is one crafty man.— Oliver Mathenge (@OliverMathenge) July 15, 2015 In the founded fundraising scheme, the main source of the funds shall primarily be the club’s registered members, supporters, and any other well-wishers that would want to support the club.The funds shall be remitted to a new designated Safaricom pay bill number that has been formed and whose signatories will be the nominees of the club members and who shall be accountable for the money.In the letter, Rachier encouraged the members, supporters, and well-wishers in general to make regular monthly contributions of amounts they are comfortable with.Gor Mahia held a fundraiser in a quest to get money to participate in CAF away in Algeria and among those invited guests who did not show up include club patron Raila Odinga, Nairobi governor Mike Sonko and Makadara MP George Aladwa.— Njuguna Witu (@ECDGraduate) September 11, 2019 The chairman also added that the club is planning to launch a vehicle that members will be invited to invest in.”In due course the club shall establish and launch a vehicle into which members shall be invited to invest, have a stake in and get returns from consideration will be given to a partnership with a joint venture,” read another part of the letter.A spot-check by Mozzart Sport via the money transfer platform M-Pesa confirmed that indeed the Paybill number given in the statement was active and functioning.Gor Mahia risk missing out on continental football even if they emerge winners in the FKF Cup final in a week’s time as they have open cases of overdue payables against their former employees.They are in trouble for failing to honor their contractual agreements with Ugandan Shaffik Batambuze and Tanzanian winger Dickson Ambundo, with their arrears running into millions and the funding scheme would come in handy for the reigning champions.
