Safaricom has committed Ksh2 million through M-PESA to support the upcoming Safari 7s rugby tournament at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.
The company announced the sponsorship on 7 Oct 2026 ahead of the three-day tournament starting on 9 Oct 2026.
The sponsorship links Kenyan sport with mobile payments and connectivity services for fans and businesses attending the tournament.
“We wish Shujaa and the Lionesses success as they defend their titles,” Safaricom chief executive officer Peter Ndegwa said.
Safaricom said it would strengthen network capacity at the stadium to help spectators share and follow the matches.
The company said dedicated connectivity would also support the tournament’s live broadcast during the three days of competition.
Its plans include bringing digital services and customer support to fans and businesses at the venue.
The commitment builds on a two-year partnership with the Kenya Rugby Union valued at more than Ksh100 million according to Safaricom.
That partnership supports the national Sevens teams through M-PESA and covers both Kenya Shujaa and the Kenya Lionesses.
Safaricom said the arrangement provides monthly allowances for players and officials alongside medical insurance, airtime allowances and financial literacy programmes.
Kenya Rugby Union chairperson Harriet Okach said the company’s connectivity investment would help fans follow the action.
Okach also said support for women’s rugby through the M-PESA partnership continued to make a difference.
“We look forward to delivering an exciting Safari 7s and encourage fans to turn up in large numbers to support our teams,” Okach said.
Safaricom said fans would be able to access matchday tickets through the Tikohub MiniApp within My OneApp.
The company said streaming bundles would also be available through My OneApp for spectators following the matches.
Visitors would be able to use M-PESA GlobalPay as a payment option during the tournament according to the release.
The planned services place ticket access and mobile payments alongside Safaricom’s network support within the same sporting event.
Safaricom said M-PESA generated more than Ksh182.7 billion in revenue for the financial year ending in March 2026.
The Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed company reported annual revenues of Ksh400 billion as at March 2026 in its corporate background information.
The tournament’s 28th edition will feature 18 teams across the men’s and women’s competitions according to the organisers’ programme in the release.
Kenya Shujaa and Kenya Morans will join international and invitational sides in the men’s competition.
The women’s competition will feature Kenya Lionesses, Kenya Cubs, Shibli and teams from Uganda, Tunisia and Spain.
Defending champions Kenya Shujaa and Kenya Lionesses will return for the tournament running from 9 to 11 Oct 2026.
Photo Gallery
