Former employee Enos Mutokah now sues ‘broke’ AFC Leopards for Sh5.5 million
The AFC Leopards have been given 10 days to pay Sh 5.5 million to a former employee and Sh 500,000 to his lawyers for collecting the monies owed to their client.
In a demand letter to the Kenyan Premier League club dated May 19, 2023, and seen by Nairobi News on May 23, Vincent Enos Mutokah sued AFC Leopards for not paying him Sh 5.5 million.
He claims the amount is arrears owed to him for negotiating a sponsorship deal he arranged for and executed for the club.
He accuses the club of only paying him Sh 500,000 and then taking him in circles instead of remitting the balance.
According to Mr Mutokah, an ardent and loyal fan of AFC Leopards, he saw that the club had been struggling financially in 2020 and 2021; and used his time and resources to support the club at that time.
Eventually, due to his renowned efforts, he and AFC Leopards entered into a contract in February 2021 that Mr Mutokah would undertake the process of procuring sponsors for the team within certain parameters. He was appointed as the club’s commercial director who would oversee overall sponsorship transactions, business modeling and planning; and strategically advise the club as well as communicate with sponsors on the club’s behalf. In return, the club would pay Mr Mutokah a 10% fee on all gross sponsorship amounts he brought in to the club from sponsors and well wishers.
In his demand letter, Mr Mutokah revealed he executed a sponsorship contract for the club with Betika Sports Betting Company sponsoring AFC Leopards with Sh 60 million a year for three years. The sponsors paid for the full first year sponsorship and AFC owed Mr Mutokah Sh 6 million.
However, the club only paid him Sh 500,000 and “failed, refused and/or neglected to pay the balance outstanding of Sh 5,500,000.”
“That you have severally acknowledged the existence of the contract between the club and our client and even undertaken to settle the claim amicably and without the necessity of court action but despite the various meeting and engagements you have had and agreed to pay, you have failed to render any performance of your obligations under the agreement,” read the demand letter.
The lawyers demanded they pay up Mr Mutokah’s balance as well as any accrued interest on the monies; as well as the lawyer’s collection fees amounting to Sh 500,000 within 10 days or they would file recovery action as provided for in the agreement.
The demand letter comes at a time AFC Leopards is broke. It also comes days after the club held a city fundraiser, organized by patron Alexander Muteshi, and managed to get Sh 2.2 million from well wishers.
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