SportPesa has on Thursday unveiled a major multi-sport sponsorship investment, committing Kshs. 120 million to boxing, motorsports, and rugby.
The investment marks a strategic expansion of SportPesa’s sports development agenda, targeting grassroots and elite levels while strengthening local sports ecosystems and creating structured opportunities for athletes across the country. A move that seeks to deepedn the professionalism, sustainability, and growth of Kenyan sport.
Speaking at the launch, SportPesa Chief Commercial Officer Jason Gibson emphasized the company’s belief in sport as both a national asset and a career pathway.
“Kenya has exceptional sporting talent across disciplines, but talent alone is not enough,” Gibson said. “Sustainable success requires investment, structure, and belief. This sponsorship is about backing Kenyan athletes, supporting local systems, and ensuring sport can thrive as a career, not just a passion.”
SportPesa has a long history in boxing, previously working with Ultra Fight Series (UFS) to host major title fights in Kenya. The new SportPesa Boxing-Rising Stars initiative will see Kshs. 40 million injected into talent development, aimed at reviving Kenya’s presence on the continental boxing stage.
“This partnership is about rebuilding belief in Kenyan boxing,” said UFS promoter Maurice Odera. “With SportPesa’s support, we can develop fighters properly, promote them professionally, and give them a real chance to compete beyond our borders.”
As the primary sponsor of Kenya’s national rugby 7s team, Shujaa, SportPesa is contributing Kshs. 40 million in cash and kind to help the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) host a world-class HSBC SVNS2 tournament on February 14–15.
“This investment reflects the everyday work behind Kenyan rugby — the training, the players, the pathways. Working together with corporates like SportPesa shows we are ready to host the SVNS2 tournament,” said KRU Chairperson Harriet Okatch.
In motorsports, SportPesa is extending its partnership with six-time Kenya National Rally Champion Leonardo Varese ahead of the 2026 WRC Safari Rally Kenya. The Kshs. 40 million sponsorship supports both Varese and his son through the Tujiamini program, which develops young talents aiming for sporting excellence.
“Rallying has given my family everything. To now see my son supported to chase the same dream is something I don’t take lightly,” Varese noted.
This multi-sport sponsorship builds on SportPesa’s long-standing support for Kenyan sports. Over a decade, the brand invested Kshs. 1.12 billion in the SportPesa Premier League and continues to sponsor historic clubs such as Gor Mahia FC, Shabana FC, and Murang’a SEAL, enhancing competitiveness, fan engagement, and club sustainability.
Internationally, SportPesa has demonstrated that Kenyan brands can compete on the global stage, notably becoming the first African firm to sponsor a Formula 1 team with SportPesa Racing Point in 2019.
“Our journey in sport has always been intentional, focused on building meaningful partnerships, credible platforms, and lasting impact,” Gibson concluded.