A major blow may strike the Nairobi City Stars fraternity after their chairman Peter Jabuya dropped a bombshell that he is willing to disband the team if the club’s financial status remains at par or keeps on deteriorating.
“If things do not improve, then I might be forced to disband the team. I have been struggling to finance the club from my own pocket, but now things are not looking very good for us. You know how the country’s economy is and there is only so much I can do,” Jabuya declared.
For more than half a decade, the team has been struggling without sponsorship and speaking. But as last year, City Stars had secured a sponsor, German cosmetic firm, PM-International who brought on board a three year deal worth Sh81million plus additional benefits but up-to now the management says it has not yet received even a single penny.
Speaking to Capital, Jabuya said that as the management they are doing their best to calm down the situation. But close to a year down the line, City Stars have never received even a single cent from the company
“I have written to them and every time the answer is soon,” Jabuya added.
Barely a week before the bomb shell, Stars head coach John ‘Bobby’ Ogolla said the players’ motivation was low as he accused the management of not doing enough to aid the club’s crippling financial side.
“As the management, we are doing more than enough. We have a wide marketing team which has been talking to potential sponsors and we are waiting to hear what will come from them. I remain positive but if nothing comes up, then I will have no option,” he added.
The chairman said that for the club to run, at least Sh2million is needed since the wage bill play around 1.3 million.Jabuya noted that there was a controversial clause on the deal that they don’t know how comes they never saw it because the clause creates a loop-hole for the sponsorship funds remittance.
“There is a clause in the contract that I think we left loose and that is where the problem is. They (PM-International) said would only start releasing money to us when ready and that is the clause that was never clear. I don’t know how it passed our eyes and those of our lawyers,” Jabuya said.