KEFWA boss Situma urges Kenyan footballers to take role in attracting sponsors
By Joel Masibo, August 4, 2025Kenya Footballers Welfare Association (KEFWA) President James Situma has called on footballers in the country to adopt a more proactive role in helping their clubs secure corporate sponsorships. According to Situma, players can be instrumental in raising the commercial appeal of their teams if they learn how to market themselves professionally.
Speaking on a local radio breakfast show on Monday, August 4, 2025, the former Harambee Stars player said players have a role to play in attracting corporate sponsorships to their respective clubs.
Corporate sponsorship
“At times, we have this notion that clubs don’t want to invest in players, they just want to use them,” Situma remarked. “What they don’t realise is that even if they don’t invest directly in the players, those same players can help attract corporate sponsorship.”
Situma emphasised that clubs should not shoulder the entire responsibility of attracting sponsors, adding that players, especially those with national team exposure, can play a huge role in increasing the visibility and attractiveness of their teams to potential investors.
One of the key suggestions he offered is self-branding. He advised players to take charge of their personal image and statistics, especially after major tournaments. Situma’s sentiments come at a time when Kenya, alongside Tanzania and Uganda, is hosting the 2024 African Nations Championship.
“Players need to profile themselves,” Situma said. “Secondly, with the advantage of being in the national team, we need to have a video analyst who can analyse each individual, the minutes played, the energy exerted, and the overall statistics. After the tournament, these are the statistics given to you as a player, allowing you to evaluate and profile yourself.”
According to the former AFC Leopards and Sofapaka star, building individual profiles using reliable performance data helps players boost their chances for personal career advancement and also makes it easier for clubs to pitch professional and data-driven sponsorship proposals to companies.
James Situma speaks at a time when many Kenyan clubs are grappling with financial challenges, partly due to a lack of consistent corporate sponsorship. Situma believes that if players actively participate in profiling and public relations, they will contribute significantly to reshaping the business narrative around football in the country.