Safaricom has today announced a KES1 million sponsorship towards the 2025 Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYAs) which will be held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi on April 16 .
This sponsorship embodies the company’s commitment to supporting sports and celebrating Kenyan athletes and is a platform to reward and motivate Kenyan sports personalities and organisations.
“At Safaricom we believe in the power of sport to uplift communities, transform lives, and spark national pride,” Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said. “We have walked this journey with SOYAs from its inception 21 years ago, contributing over KES300 million in both cash and kind. For us, supporting SOYAs is our way of honouring the resilience, excellence, and determination of Kenyan athletes who continue to raise our flag on the global stage.”
On his part, National Olympic Committee of Kenya president and founder of SOYAs Paul Tergat appreciated the continuous support from Safaricom in recognising Kenya’s national heroes.
“The unwavering support from Safaricom over the last two decades has been instrumental in shaping SOYAs into the prestigious platform it is today,” Tergat said. “Since 2004, we have celebrated the triumphs of our sportsmen and women together, ensuring that their efforts do not go unnoticed. This year, as we shine a spotlight on women’s excellence in sports, we are proud to do so with a partner who shares our vision.”
This year’s award is themed Celebrating Women’s Excellence in Sports and will see several sports personalities rewarded in 11 categories including Sports Woman of the Year, Sportsman of the Year, Sportswoman with a Disability, a Sportsman with Disability, Coach of the Year, Sports Team Women, Sports Team Men, Schools Girls Team, Schools Boys Team, Schools Coach of the Year and Hall of Fame Award.
Triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon and her ‘double’ counterpart, Beatrice Chebet, will face off for this year’s Sportsperson of the Year Awards (SOYA). The two are among five nominees in this category, which also includes world marathon record holder Ruth Chepng’etich, Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri and Olympic 3000m steeplechase bronze medalist Faith Cherotich.
In the Sportsman of the Year category, boxer Boniface Mugunde, who earned Kenya its first African boxing title since Nick Okoth in 2017, is among the five finalists in the nominations list. Mugunde will face-off against Nairobi Thunders’ basketballer Albert Odero and athletes Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Ronald Kwemoi, and Benson Kipruto.
