Beyond Medals and Moments: How Kenya Can Turn Sporting Talent Into a Lasting Economic Engine

Kenya has considerable sporting talent that competes at the highest level in the global arena.

Few countries our size have achieved as much global recognition in sports ranging from athletics, rugby, volleyball and most recently darts. I recall a time we could easily have included hockey and cricket to this list.

Focusing on Rugby, it is the fastest growing sport in the country with 60 clubs and over 43,000 players playing the sport across the country. Success has come through the 7s version of the game when the Kenya national rugby sevens team stunned the world when they won the Singapore Sevens in 2016 and later represented the country at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. This was a proud moment for the sport and the country as a whole.

Unfortunately, we could not sustain the momentum due to various key factors.

It all comes down to being able to put a sustainable structure around the sport.

Currently, sport is mainly financed in Kenya from three sources: government allocations through the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, corporate sponsorship and revenue managed by sports federations themselves. In rugby, the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) sits at the centre of this balancing act.

Unfortunately, this only focusses at national level and does not address the development of the value chain. We have schools and clubs that are producing talent but many do not have the physical infrastructure and technical capacity to sustainably produce and improve the quality of talent required year on year.

Performance rises when resources are made available and falls when it slows, resulting in the “stop-start” we see rather than a steady build-up of excellence.

Recent support from corporate companies show that the private sector identifies real value in sport. This confidence is critical but sponsorship alone cannot fix structural weaknesses.

Kenya needs to move beyond short-term sponsorship cycles toward long-term public-private partnerships that build sustainable sporting systems. Out of the 60 clubs in the country, only 3 clubs enjoy full corporate support. Some corporates have taken a different approach and have an initiative that is putting resources into supporting the community clubs in the country.

These clubs are made up of Institutions (Universities) and community clubs with players mainly coming from underprivileged backgrounds living, schooling or trying to make ends meet within our communities. If applied properly, a partnership approach to rugby will focus on four key areas.

First is schools and grassroots development. Talent must be identified early and supported consistently. Companies could support county leagues while equipment support is tied to proper coaching standards. Meanwhile, government and private partners could co-fund academies that widen the talent pool beyond traditional strongholds.

Second is club and university rugby. A stronger domestic league requires reliable funding and better organisation. Broadcast partnerships, structured sponsorship agreements and incentives for companies investing in academies could help stabilise the local game.

Third is infrastructure. Many sports facilities in Kenya are publicly owned but poorly maintained. A public-private partnership structure could allow private firms to invest in upgrading stadiums in return for naming rights or commercial use agreements, while ensuring proper maintenance standards. Better facilities ultimately benefit players, fans and investors alike.

Fourth is the national level. Competing internationally requires more than passion. It requires modern training facilities, sports science support and strong player welfare systems. Long-term funding agreements would allow teams to plan seriously rather than scramble for last-minute fundraising before tournaments.

To bring these ideas together, an example is an annual Ruff n Tuff Rugby 7s Invitation initiated in 2025 is organised to support community rugby clubs, aims to provide a competitive platform for grassroots teams while strengthening community engagement around the sport.

More importantly, sport should be viewed not simply as entertainment but as part of a broader economic ecosystem. When embedded within industrial policy, youth employment strategies, and tourism development frameworks, sport becomes a generator of economic value. Funding then shifts from being seen as goodwill or a reward for medals to a form of capital allocation that delivers measurable returns and jobs are created, SMEs supported, broadcast rights monetized, and talent exported globally.

If Kenya builds a stable system around its athletes, sporting success will cease to be a moment of surprise and instead become the predictable outcome of a well-structured national ecosystem.

Read Also: Nairobi Set For Global Rugby Spotlight as Kenya Hosts First-Ever HSBC Sevens Event Outside South Africa

By Richard Muturi | Group Chief Operations Officer | Crown Paints Plc