Mombasa Rugby lands Sh4.5m deal in Kenya Cup promotion push

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Mombasa Sports Club Rugby has secured a Sh4.5 million sponsorship deal with Mitchell Cotts Freight Kenya Limited in a major boost to its campaign to return to the Kenya Cup.

The three-season partnership, covering the 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29 seasons, will see the logistics company serve as the club’s title sponsor, providing Sh1.5 million annually.

The deal expands an existing relationship between the two organisations, with Mitchell Cotts having sponsored the club’s playing kit during the 2025/26 season.

Under the new arrangement, the company will occupy the front-of-shirt position on the club’s senior 15s and sevens playing kits, alongside match-day, digital and community rugby branding rights.

The sponsorship funds will support the club’s daily management and match operations, including team travel, accommodation, meals, equipment and other match-day expenses.

Mombasa Rugby chairman Rogers Otieno Lai said the funding would support the club’s efforts to regain its place in the country’s top rugby competition.

“We thank Mitchell Cotts for standing with us, first on our shirts and now as our title sponsor. This is a big boost as we rally the club back to the Kenya Cup. Partnerships like this are how we get there,” he said.

The club begins its Kenya Rugby Championship campaign away to South Coast Pirates on November 21, 2026. The 11-match season runs until March 13, 2027, with five fixtures scheduled at Mombasa Sports Club.

Mitchell Cotts Group General Manager for Commercial Maina Kio said the decision to elevate the company’s involvement reflected its confidence in the club and its commitment to communities where it operates.

“Our journey with Mombasa Rugby started on the shirt, and the club has shown the discipline and transparency we look for in a partner. Stepping up to title sponsor reflects our commitment to the communities where we operate. We are proud to back the team on the road back to the Kenya Cup,” he said.

Listen Media director Teddy Ndemo, whose agency manages the club’s commercial rights, said the three-year agreement would provide greater stability as the club pursues its sporting ambitions.

“This partnership shows what happens when a sponsor and a club grow together. We set out to turn a kit deal into a long-term platform. Moving Mitchell Cotts from the shirt to the title, across three seasons, gives the club stability,” he said.

The partnership will also support the club’s age-grade and community rugby programme, which provides young players along the Coast with a pathway into senior rugby under a safeguarding policy.