Former FKF chief Nyamweya tears into Azam TV deal

Former Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Sam Nyamweya launched a scathing attack on his successor for his handling of the Azam TV broadcast rights deal announced on Thursday.

The FKF said it had signed a seven-year deal worth Sh1.3 billion with the Tanzanian Pay TV company who, at a confusing press conference, seemed to announce conflicting figures.

The Azam Media chief operating officer Yahya Mohamed had earlier indicated it was paying Sh300 million per year in the agreement.

“While I welcome Azam back into Kenyan football, I am left disappointed by the kind of agreement the FKF leadership entered for broadcasting the country’s top league.

“It is either the league has sunk so low to a level we are getting peanuts or the federation has decided to auction it all together,” Nyamweya said.

He accused the current FKF office for undervaluing Kenyan football in the deal, saying the agreement ‘leaves so many questions’.

“The current FKF’s term ends in six months’ time, why would the federation sign a seven-year broadcasting contract?

“Were clubs consulted before the deal was agreed and signed? How much will clubs be getting?

“Compared to US Dollars 100 million Azam has pumped into Tanzania football, the US Dollars 1 million our clubs will be getting leaves a lot to be desired,” he said in a statement.

Indeed, Mwendwa refused to disclose how money from its broadcast deal will be shared among clubs, saying he can only do so after several other deals in the pipeline have been firmed and finalised.

“This is just the beginning because there are bigger plans in the pipeline. There’s one more announcement we’ll make so we’re not going to say how much clubs will receive. What we want to do is firm up all these deals and then bring everything on the table.

“I can assure you what you’ll get is way more than anything you’ve ever received. We already have Azam deal sealed and the rest will come,” Mwendwa said.

Nyamweya accused the FKF supremo for trying to ‘use the Azam deal to slither their way back to office.’

“As a priority, the management of the Kenyan league should return control to the clubs to prevent any potential political manipulation, for as things stand now that league is a political instrument.

“Should it, however, remain under FKF’s strict management, then members should push for the enactment of regulations that prevent any incumbent leadership from signing partnership agreements or business contracts that extend past their term in office.”

Under the agreement signed with Azam TV, four matches will be broadcast every game week.

The broadcast satellite company created in 2013 already owns television rights for Tanzania's league and previously sponsored the championships in neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda.

South Africa's DStv, Africa's main satellite provider, terminated its contract to broadcast the Kenyan league in 2017 citing a breach in their agreement.