AFC Leopards to benchmark with Tanzanian giants, receive Sh2 million donation from Mudavadi

AFC Leopards Corporate task force chairman Vincent Shimoli speaking to press on the proposed corporate model at the MAA hotel, Nairobi, on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. Courtesy

Kenya's oldest football club, AFC Leopards, is taking significant strides toward transforming its governance structure by sending its Corporate Task Force on a benchmarking tour of Tanzania.

The task force, established to oversee the club's transition from a society model to a corporate entity, will visit Tanzania's Yanga FC and Simba FC, two of the most successful community clubs in East Africa.

The tour, scheduled for the end of this month, is part of the task force's broader mandate to professionalise the club and explore new business models.

The Task Force has spent the past month focusing on capacity building and gaining a deeper understanding of football's commercialization in a global context. Its members have studied the different corporate models in the market and examined how they could be adapted to suit the Kenyan football scene.

The upcoming tour to Tanzania will give them firsthand insights into how Yanga and Simba FC have successfully transitioned from community-based teams into corporate entities with solid commercial foundations.

Speaking at the MAA hotel in Nairobi on Wednesday, September 18, task force chairman Vincent Shimoli insisted the club had to move into a corporate model to suit structures seen in big clubs all over the world.

"In Kenya, the lowest paid player is paid around Sh25,000, in Tanzania, they get close to Sh250,000. We want to up our game," said Shimoli, insisting that fans must get behind the proposed corporate model.

Yanga and Simba are not only East Africa's most prominent football brands but have also become role models for clubs aiming to attract investment and professionalize their operations. By learning from these Tanzanian giants, AFC Leopards hopes to replicate their successes and begin the next phase of its transformation.

The benchmarking exercise is a crucial step in the club's journey toward modernisation. Upon returning from Tanzania, the task force will embark on a comprehensive three-year civic education campaign, starting in October, to engage the club's over 5,000 registered members and more than 6 million fans across Kenya.

Alex Muteshi, the task force treasurer and club patron, urged members to contribute ideas on how the club can move forward under the proposed model.

The primary focus of the campaign will be to educate the AFC Leopards community about the advantages of transitioning the club into an investor-friendly corporate structure and the long-term benefits of professionalizing the club's operations.

The civic education initiative will involve meetings across the club's extensive branch network, allowing members and fans to voice their views on the proposed changes.

Feedback gathered during this period will form the basis of a blueprint for the club's Annual General Meeting (AGM) in early 2025. The blueprint will outline the preferred governance structure, which will be also subject to member ratification before being officially adopted.

Mudavadi donates Sh2 million

The benchmarking tour and civic education efforts have been bolstered by a generous Kshs 2 million donation from Prime Cabinet Secretary and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Musalia Mudavadi. A long-time supporter of AFC Leopards, Mudavadi has consistently advocated for the club's structural transformation.

He also encouraged other well-wishers to contribute to the task force's budget, which is projected to cost Kshs 5 million over the next six months. The budget will cover the costs of engaging club members, corporate partners, and sporting brands, as well as reaching out to the club's vast fan base, which the task force hopes to mobilize as potential investors.

The eight-person task force includes Richard Ekhalie (Secretary), Nelly Mwashi, Ng'arua Kamuya, Bramwel Aino, Clarence Jumbo, and Laureen Aseka (Assistant Secretary).