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A sponsorship deal worth KES 20million for Tokyo 2020 ceremonial kit has been signed by Kenya in agreement with the mobile network, Safaricom. Airtime worth KES10000 will also be received by each member of the Kenyan delegation, which they can utilize when in Japan.
The Olympic kit has continuously proven to be a headache for Kenya, with a petition launched in February 2020, pushing for a rethink of a Nike design unveiled for the delayed Tokyo games. Though the design was backed by Olympic marathon champion, Eliud Kipchoge, the design was described as tasteless and inspired by bees. Some allegations of misuse of funds and sales of kits at tickets at inflated prices were also made at Rio 2016, with several top officials ending up in court.

Amina Mohamed, Kenya’s cabinet secretary for sport, heritage, and culture said: “I thank Safaricom for their continued support and investment in sports and in our athletes”. She mentioned that the measure is in line with the Ministry’s commitment to partner with the private sector to uplift the quality and standards of the sports industry in Kenya. She further said, “Despite the pandemic, our collaborative public-private partnership approach has provided much needed protective support to the entire sports ecosystem securing athlete welfare”.
Safaricom chief executive Peter Ndegwa commented that the company has always been at the forefront of supporting Kenyan athletes every time the Olympic Games are held, whether through supporting the Olympic trials, giving incentives to the medal winners or providing support to the National Olympic Committee of Kenya. He also said, ”This year, in addition to ensuring they are well kitted, we’ll be providing each team member airtime so that they can keep in touch with their family and friends back home”.