Safaricom has once again made headway in the sports sector by unveiling the Safaricom Stadium Kasarani.
Ten companies participated in a competitive bidding process after, the Sports Stadia Management Board (SSMB) put out an advertisement in July inviting organizations to tender for the naming and branding rights of some of the facilities located within the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani. Safaricom was awarded the rights to rename the main stadium and the indoor arena at a cost of KES. 210 Million.
Of the KES 210 Million, KES 55 Million was paid directly to the SSMB as naming and branding fees while KES 155 Million has been invested in the branding and rehabilitation of the main stadium and the indoor arena. This includes upgrading the dressing rooms and the wash rooms in the first phase of the contract.
Under the deal Safaricom has renamed the main stadium to Safaricom Stadium Kasarani-Home of Heroes and the indoor gymnasium to Safaricom Indoor Arena.
“This is the most significant improvement that the stadium has undergone since 1987 and as SSMB, this is the direction we intend to take in order to enable us realize our core mandate which is to position Kenya as a sports host of repute through the construction and rehabilitation of sports facilities,†said SSMB’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Gabriel Komora
Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore noted that, “This historic partnership will change the way the management of sports facilities is managed in Kenya for good and in the end, I believe that our sportsmen and women will be the biggest beneficiaries of this partnership.â€