Kenyan Premier League giants Gor Mahia has appealed to the President of Kenya His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta to review the 2017 Finance Bill which will affect sponsors SportPesa as from January 2018.

The firm will be forced to pay 35% tax on its revenue according to a bill assented by the President in June, a move which has prompted the company to notify their beneficiaries of a possible end of sponsorship by next year.

Gor Mahia, being one of the clubs sponsored by Sportpesa, has requested Uhuru to reconsider his decision on the tax in order to rescue the country’s sporting fraternity.

“Your excellency, President Uhuru Kenyatta. Greetings from the Gor Mahia fraternity.

“We were kindly hoping you could consider your stand on the Finance Bill 2017.

“The new 35% tax on revenue instead of profit, will surely kill SportPesa as a business, and with it our sponsorship. There is really no business that can sustain such a tax if it is not levied on profit.

“Mr. President, if anyone told us that we could play a team from the English Premier League two years ago, we could have dismissed the idea. However, today we played Everton FC thanks to SportPesa.

“Our partnership with SportPesa in the last two years has seen the club grow in all standards. Creation of employment, exposure of regional football through the SportPesa Super Cup and many more benefits have seen the club continue being the power house it has always been.

“The sponsorship runs for another three years and we would like to retain SportPesa as our sponsors. We humbly request that you kindly review the Finance Bill 2017 so as to allow the positive work the gaming community is doing to grow and nurture sports in the country,” Gor Mahia posted on their official facebook page.

Apart from Gor Mahia, the betting company has also sponsored AFC Leopards, National Super League side Nakuru AllStars, Football Kenya Federation, Rugby Union of Kenya among others.