Nairobi, 30 April

Cricket Kenya is all set to start its own franchise-based league, CKT20, in September to revive the sport in which the country had done reasonably well in the past, including reaching the semi-final of the ODI World Cup in 2003.

The first season of the league will be an intense 25-day showdown to be contested by six franchises that have been allowed to import at least five international players from across the globe.

A lucrative contractual agreement has been penned by the CK and the Dubai/India based company AOS Sport Tournament in which the latter is expected to invest USD two million over a period of five years.

"This is huge. It will be exciting. It will be thrilling. It will turn around Kenya’s game for the better," former Kenya International Kennedy Obuya said.

"Only four of the foreign players in a team will be permitted to play at any given fixture, the rest of the fielded squad will be local," explained the former wicketkeeper-batter, who played 90 ODIs for his country and is also a CK Board Member.

The league is set to get USD 300,000 funding in the opening season from the AOS.

The support will be increased by USD 50,000 annually, translating to USD 350,000 in 2026, USD 400,000 in 2027, USD 450,000 in 2028 and USD 500,000 in 2029, totalling to approximately 255 million Kenyan Shilling in the five years at the current rate.

"This strategic collaboration is poised to catapult Kenyan cricket to unprecedented heights. The CKT20 League promises to unlock vast potential for Kenyan cricketers, as well as talented players from the African associate member nations," the AOS Sport Tournament Chairman Chandra Prakash Panwar stated.

"This initiative aligns with the vision of Honorable Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who graciously pledged comprehensive support to the Kenyan government, to support Kenya’s tourism and sport," Panwar added.

"Only four of the foreign players in a team will be permitted to play at any given fixture, the rest of the fielded squad will be local," explained Obuya.