NAIROBI, Kenya, February 7, 2025 – Organisers of the annual Magical Kenya Open plan to scale back reliance on authorities funding within the coming years.
Chair of the native organising committee (LOC) Patrick Obath says they are going to be pursuing a variety of company companions to ease the burden on the federal government, which has been the primary funder of the occasion.
“The tournament has grown through the support of the government. It is time to take the burden off government and make it an event owned by Kenyans and not the Kenyan government. This is something we will pursue immediately after the championship,” Obath stated.
The chair additional outlined their want to make Kenya a {golfing} hub in Africa — on the identical degree as Morocco and South Africa.
“The Magical Kenya Open has grown to be an integral part of DP World Tour. They are very excited and particular about this competition and are keen to see Kenya become a hub of golf in Africa, alongside Morocco and South Africa,” he stated.
The authorities has pumped in Ksh 295 million into this 12 months’s event, set for February 20-23 on the Muthaiga Golf Club, Nairobi.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya stated this cash shall be disbursed instantly to the organisers.
“The government has invested Ksh 295 million and I’ve directed the primcipal secretary (Peter Tum) that this money be availed immediately so that the LOC can be sure that the prize money will be paid out,” Mvurya stated.
He urged stakeholders to benefit from the visibility supplied by the event to harness alternatives to develop the game and create funding networks.
“As government, we are very proud that MKO is going to happen here in Kenya. We don’t take it for granted that Kenya is hosting this event. It brings the world to Kenya and also creates a profile for us. We should take advantage of this, especially for those who aspire to play golf,” the CS stated.
Speaking on the identical time, Sports PS Peter Tum stated the ministry is working with that of Tourism and Wildlife to leverage on the occasion — in addition to the Safari Rally — to place Kenya as a must-visit vacation spot.
“Our investment aims to ensure Kenya remains at forefront of sports tourism. We are working together with the ministry of tourism in this regard,” he stated.
This 12 months’s version has attracted near 150 gamers embody 13 from Kenya — eight execs and 5 amateurs.
The winner will stroll residence with USD 2.5 million (roughly Ksh 323 million).