Innocent Ndawula And Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo
9 August 2009
East Africa Breweries Limited (EABL) has stopped sponsoring the annual epic Elgon Cup clashes between arch-rivals Kenya and Uganda, Sunday Monitor has learnt.
The first leg was due to be played at the Rugby Football Union of East Africa (RFUEA) grounds along Ngong Road in Nairobi on August 15 with the second leg scheduled for Kampala on August 29.
A three-paragraph letter from Debra Mallowah, the EABL Marketing Director read in part, "The business position is not to continue with this sponsorship from this year onwards."
Last month Mallowah in a telephone conversation with Kenya Rugby Football Union (KRFU) chairman Richard Omwela on July 17 said EABL had been reconsidering certain sponsorships deals it had with several associations, and among them Elgon Cup.
EABL acknowledged the partnership with KRFU had been of mutual benefit enabling the growth of the sport and building the equity of the sponsoring EABL brands
As a result, the KRFU shopping for a new sponsor for the annual Elgon Cup and Safari Sevens. Omwela stated: "KRFU is in light of this is considering the sponsorship, of Tusker Safari Sevens by EABL as this was the package we negotiated for."