Nairobi City Stars FC has landed to a Sh81 million (800,000 Us dollars) three-year sponsorship partnerships with sports related German company PM International AG.
The Sponsorship partnership was launched on Friday at City Stars’s World Hope Centre in Kawangware, Nairobi in the presence of Football Kenya Federation chairman Sam Nyamweya, Kenyan Premier League chairman Ambrose Rachier and league Chief Executive Officer Jack Oguda.
A delighted City Stars chairman Peter Jabuya lauded the partnership saying it would be a turning point for both the club and the football community at large.
“The club has gone through very tough times for the last three years and this has really taken a toll on the players. This is, however, a real turning point for us and it gives me great joy to have landed such a lucrative deal,” Jabuya said.
City Stars are currently placed second from last on the 16-team Premiership table with 13 points from 17 matches.
“Let it not be said that we did not seek local solutions, we did. Help has however come from outside and we appreciate it even more,” the City Stars boss added.
In addition a monthly Sh2.2 million grant to City Stars, PM International AG will also provide high quality nutritional supplements worth Sh1 million every three month to the Nairobi-based club. The German firm will also subsidize City Stars air travel tickets by up to 40 per cent.
PM International AG is a German-based private company that specializes in direct marketing and distribution of nutritional supplements, cosmetics and sports attire.
About Nairobi City Stars
The club was founded in 2003 as World Hope Football Club, when it took over Kawangware FC, who had been relegated from the Premier League. After one season in the Nationwide League, World Hope was promoted to the KPL.
In October 2008, the club was bought by Ambassadors in Sports (AIS Kenya), who renamed it to Nairobi City Stars FC after the 2008 season.
Musa Otieno, Kenyan international footballer who has also played for Cleveland City Stars is one of the leading figures behind the new club. Nairobi City Stars retained the home ground Hope Centre, located in Kawangware suburb of Nairobi.
Nairobi City Stars was once coached by German manager Oliver Page, who is a former Bundesliga player but resigned half-season in June 2009 despite good results, citing personal issues.
The club’s mission statement states they will use the club’s profile to raise awareness of and combat poverty, HIV/AIDS, ethnic strife and corruption.
