Mwangi yet to honor Kagame Cup prize money pledge

THE Chief Executive Officer of Quality Chemicals Tanzania Limited Yussuf Mwangi is yet to honour his commitment of an additional $20,000 to the Cecafa Kagame Club Championships prize money.

Friday, June 28, 2013
APR's right full back Hamdan Bariyanga beats Yussuf Juuko of Express Fc to the ball in Wednesday's quarter-final match played at Al Nugga stadium. The New Times / B. Mugabe

THE Chief Executive Officer of Quality Chemicals Tanzania Limited Yussuf Mwangi is yet to honour his commitment of an additional $20,000 to the Cecafa Kagame Club Championships prize money.The development was confirmed on Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Cecafa Secretary General Nicholas Musonye.Mwangi confirmed his pledge of additional $20,000 to the existing prize money of $60,000 when Tanzanian side Yanga FC, who won the tournament for the past two years, paid a courtesy visit to President Paul Kagame at Village Urugwiro in August last year.In his statement, Mwangi said, "We recognise the assistance President Paul Kagame has given to sports in the region. My company has offered to inject $20,000 annually to the tournament so as to add value to the Cecafa-Kagame Cup tournament.” However, with this year’s event already in the semifinals, Mwangi has not fulfilled his pledge.Musonye said, "He promised in-front of President Kagame that he will contribute $20,000 to the annual prize money offered by the honorary President of the Cecafa-Kagame Club Championship.”"But up to now, he hasn’t fulfilled his commitment. We have sent him letters, reminding him on four separate occasions but with no success."If he sends the money, we will know what to do but up to now we only have $60,000 from his Excellency President Kagame ready for the top three teams,” added Musonye.In 2002, President Kagame became the first sponsor of the club competition, injecting $60,000 worth of prize money with the winning team pocketing $30,000, while the runners up take $20,000, with $10,000 set aside for the third-placed team.Besides the prize money, the President also gives $15,000 every year for organisation of the tournament, bringing his total sponsorship to $75,000.As a result of that support, Cecafa renamed the competition Cecafa-Kagame Cup Club championship. The sponsorship remains the competition’s lifeline to date.