JKA Media Agency Moves to Unlock Uganda Athletics’ Sponsorship Potential

By Kayiira Jackson 

JKA Media Agency has entered into a three-year partnership with Uganda Athletics to spearhead the commercialisation of the sport and attract new sponsors and corporate partners to one of Uganda’s most successful sporting disciplines.

The partnership, unveiled on Tuesday at the Uganda Athletics offices in Kampala, will see JKA Media Agency work with the federation to expand the visibility of Uganda Athletics both locally and internationally while developing commercial opportunities around the sport’s existing products and properties.

The agreement was unveiled by JKA Media Agency CEO Joe Kigozi, Uganda Athletics President Dominic Otucet, and National Council of Sports Assistant General Secretary in charge of technical affairs Chebet Milton.

Kigozi said the three-year period will give the agency sufficient time to understand the culture and operations of Uganda Athletics before assessing the success of its strategy.

“Three years is good for us to understand the culture of Uganda Athletics. We are a private entity and we come with a strategy and we believe we shall execute the work. If it works, we renew and if it fails, we look for something else,” Kigozi said.

He described Uganda Athletics as one of the best-run federations in the country and said its success on the international stage made it an attractive sporting property for potential commercial partners.

“UA is the well-run federation and Athletics is the most successful sport in Uganda, so that’s why we came in. We talked to them severally and we’re very happy that the discussions culminated into an MoU that will allow us to represent Uganda Athletics commercially,” he said.

Kigozi clarified that the agency’s role will not involve athletes’ technical affairs, but rather the commercial products already developed by Uganda Athletics.

“We’re not athletes, but we’re going to focus on the products that they have already created to make sure that we bring in sponsorships, we bring in partners that can add value to Uganda Athletics,” he added.

According to Kigozi, Uganda has a large pool of corporate companies that could benefit from associating their brands with athletics, and JKA Media Agency intends to bridge the gap between the sport and the corporate world.

“There are so many corporate companies that are out there that need to associate with Uganda Athletics. Our role is to talk to them and bring money to the sport,” he said.

Uganda Athletics President Dominic Otucet said the partnership comes at a critical time, with the federation facing a significant funding shortfall.

Otucet revealed that Uganda Athletics currently has only one international sponsor, Nike, which provides kit for Team Uganda and supports other activities.

“To date, we have only one international sponsor, that is Nike, who dresses Team Uganda and also supports us in other activities. Locally, we don’t have any sponsor,” Otucet said.

He said the federation’s annual budget stands at approximately Shs10 billion, while government support contributes about Shs3 billion, leaving a funding gap of roughly Shs7 billion.

“We can’t continue with that. Our annual budget is 10 billion shillings and government is giving us three billion, so we stay with a deficit of seven billion,” Otucet stated.

He said the federation therefore needs to explore alternative sources of funding, with JKA Media Agency expected to lead efforts to secure commercial partnerships.

“As a federation, we would like to go out there and get sponsors who can cover some of the gaps we have right now. That’s why we have given the task to this agency to do that work for us,” he said.

National Council of Sports Assistant General Secretary Technical Chebet Milton backed the partnership, arguing that sports federations can no longer depend entirely on government funding.

Milton said federations should increasingly work with creative agencies and private-sector partners to turn sport into a sustainable economic enterprise.

“We also present the budgets, and it’s always in our wish to fully fund our members, but when you reach there they cut the budget. As National Council of Sports, we also have many unfunded gaps,” Milton said.

He encouraged federations to think commercially and invest in marketing as a way of generating greater returns.

“Federations need to start looking outside from the government budget, link up with agencies. There are people who are creative. When you pay some little and wait for the big, once you inject 100 million in marketing and receive 500 million, that’s business,” he said.

Milton further stressed that modern sport should be viewed beyond medals and competition, with its economic potential receiving equal attention.

“The sport we’re talking about is no longer about bringing medals but now it’s about economic development,” he added.

JKA Media Agency describes itself as a sports and media consultancy focused on commercialising sports in Uganda.

Through the three-year agreement, the agency will seek to package and promote Uganda Athletics’ commercial assets, improve the sport’s visibility and attract local and international brands interested in investing in athletics.

The partnership comes at a time when Uganda continues to produce strong performances on the international athletics scene, but faces challenges in translating sporting success into sustainable commercial revenue.