Ministry of sports embarks on building 47 county sports stadia

The Sports ministry has embarked on an ambitious plan to establish 47 county sports stadia around the country to promote the development of sports.

The government has also invested Sh4.5 billion to see the entire 1,000 acres at Kasarani fully developed, Cabinet Secretary for Sports Dr. Hassan Wario said when he joined global gaming company to launch mCHEZA, a simple, fun and interactive platform on which fans can put their money on football games across 277 leagues globally.

The first phase of the Kasarani project is expected to be completed in 2016 and will comprise of an Administration Block, indoor sport facilities, various pitches, ablution block, sports medicine and research centre.

The CS urged all governing bodies to streamline the management of sports in the country in order to demonstrate credibility among sports fans and lovers.

“We continue to hold talks on how to enhance the level of professionalism within the sports authorities,” Said the CS.

Kenya’s government gave INTRALOT, leading company supplying integrated gaming and transaction processing systems a green light to offer their services of  innovating game content, sports gaming management and interactive gaming services to state-licensed gaming organizations worldwide has a sports gaming platform in Kenya.

INTRALOT leverages on the mobile money platform M-PESA which has over 13.9 million monthly users. In Management Information System, mCheza is another way of locking in customers in the largest Telco_ Safaricom limited as it faces unyielding competition by other players.

mCHEZA Chief Executive Officer Peter Karimi,  noted that the partnership with INTRALOT will invest 15 Million USD across East Africa over the next 3 years in order to raise the profile and impact of sports gaming in the region.

The process of the firm getting authorization and regulated by the Betting Control and Licencing Board of Kenya began in 2012 with intensive research and planning, licensing was in 2014.

"Numerous sports, markets and betting modes will be incorporated on the platform in Quarter 1 of 2016 with live betting to follow thereafter. The platform is working on a strategic expansion plan into other East African markets from 2016," said Karimi.

 

The innovation has received commendation by the Sports ministry acknowledging the support of corporate organizations in the growth of sports in the country. 

The first 10,000 people to sign up to mCHEZA will receive Kshs 100 credit in their game account.

 Intralot Vice-President Business Development, Europe and Africa Antonis Markopoulos expressed excitement over entering the Kenyan market. According to Antonis, research indicated an increased potential in the growth of gaming Africa. 

The firm is an international protagonist in the lottery sector has approximately 5,400 employees and a presence in 57 jurisdictions on all 5 continents. The firm holds a dominant position in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Central America and the Caribbean, with a significant presence in North America, and is continuing its dynamic expansion in Oceania and Africa.

"Africa's appreciation for sports has also indicated an increased interest in gaming across the continent. By investing in this market, we look forward to improving the lives of Kenyans as they connect with their favorite teams," he said.

Philip Muema founder of Acumen Communications Limited, a sports gaming operator licensed and regulated by the BCLB, is the local partner of Intralot. The partnership brings together professionals in the key areas of ICT, media, accounting and gaming. Uplifting Kenya's highly talented but less fortunate footballers at county level and sponsoring national teams in various sports fields will one of the focus areas.