AFC Leopards turn to Ruto for help with player recruitment and facilities
By Luke Oluoch, July 15, 2026AFC Leopards, on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, leveraged a rare and high-profile visit to State House to present a comprehensive list of pleas directly to President William Ruto, aiming to secure the club’s long-term welfare and future.
The delegation was led by Co-operatives and MSMEs Development Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya, who officially presented their memorandum of proposals to the Head of State.
Oparanya noted that Ingwe had approached his office to help broker the meeting with the president, focusing on four key pillars crucial for the club’s growth ahead of the upcoming Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League season.
Support for the players’ recruitment drive
In their bid to launch a formidable title charge next season, AFC Leopards are keen to execute a highly strategic player recruitment drive. CS Oparanya petitioned the president to financially back this recruitment campaign so the club can attract top-tier talent.
Bridging the sponsorship gap
Oparanya pointed out that their existing sponsorship with a local betting firm remains inadequate to sustain the entire ecosystem due to other additional commitments by the firm. The CS said that additional sponsorship deals could help them mitigate the fund gaps created by additional costs involved in running the seniors team alongside the youth team (AFC Leopards Cubs), and the women’s team (AFC Leopards Queens).
To mitigate this heavy financial shortfall, the club requested the president’s intervention in helping secure additional corporate sponsorship.
Better training facilities and a permanent home
It was disclosed that Ingwe currently holds a lease with the Kenya School of Deaf training base, which needed an upgrade as a short-term measure for their training grounds. The club requested that, since it is a government institution, it could be spruced up and used as a training base and possibly host the team games.
The club also pleaded for upgrading these facilities to professional standards for their immediate training and match campaigns. For the long term, Oparanya highlighted the club’s vision to purchase land and construct its own stadium and state-of-the-art training center.
Intervention for Ingwe Sacco
In a unique move toward financial self-sustainability, AFC Leopards is bidding to register their own public transport Sacco. However, the venture has stalled because the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has temporarily closed the window on new Sacco registrations.
Oparanya implored the president to intervene and direct the NTSA to open a window that would allow the club to actualise this innovative transport venture.