The long wait is over as K’Ogalo agrees to kick-off the league after signing FKF Premier League season contract.
This was done through its Secretary-General Sam Ochola who stated the green army has pledged to comply with the terms and conditions of the agreement!
“We Gor Mahia FC, members of FKF, are cognizant that on September 29, 2020, FKF entered into a media rights and commercial rights agreement [the agreement] with StarTimes [Kenya] Company Limited to be the exclusive broadcaster of the FKF Premier League for seven seasons [2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27],” read the statement signed by club secretary Sam Ochola.
“We hereby endorse the agreement and we shall endevour to bring the agreement to fruition by cooperating with FKF in performing its obligations under the agreement.
“We through this letter of endorsement, also pledge to comply with the terms and conditions of the agreement as well as the rules of the game of football and that we shall not enter into any other agreements with third parties in respect of the rights granted to StarTimes Media under the agreement.
“We also undertake to utilize all the funds disbursed to us through FKF in respect of the agreement for football activities and for the betterment of the club’s participation in the FKF Premier League.
“In that regard, we authorize FKF to disburse funds in respect of agreement through our account whose details are set out below.”
Earlier on, the four rebel clubs had vowed not to sign the deal, with a source intimating to Goal they are ready to play in the league.
“Both clubs are willing and ready to compete in the league which starts on Saturday, they have vowed not to sign the broadcast deal, they don’t want to give in and sign the document,” a source, from one of the clubs and who did not want to be named, told Goal on Tuesday.
“As clubs, we don’t want to lose our broadcast rights, the rights were for the clubs even during the KPL era and what FKF are doing is to snatch what belongs to the clubs, it will not be possible, we will not give in, we will not sign the document but one thing I can assure you, we are ready to play in the league.
We hereby endorse the agreement and we shall endeavour to bring the agreement to fruition by cooperating with FKF in performing its obligations under the agreement. We also pledge to comply with the terms.”
But to a quick rejoinder, the Club Chairman disowned the signed letter and stated that the Secretary General did not act within the clubs laws, therefore making the document null and void.
“The letter was written without our authority and the Secretary-General knows our stand. Now he has gone into hiding, you cannot get him on phone”, stated Gor Chairman Ambrose Rachier.
The government authorized okayed the resumption, paving way for the start of the 2020/21 Kenyan Premier League season set for this weekend.