The Rwanda Premier League has entered a new era after securing a landmark sponsorship agreement that will see Rwanda’s top-flight football competition rebranded as the BK Pro League for the next five years.
On Friday afternoon, Bank of Kigali signed a five-and-a-half-year partnership with Rwanda Premier League in a deal valued at 3.25 billion Rwandan francs, marking one of the most significant private investments in Rwandan football in recent years.
The agreement takes immediate effect, with the league officially adopting the BK Pro League identity starting this season.
Bank of Kigali Chief Executive Officer Dr. Diane Karusisi, who represented the institution at the signing ceremony, said the partnership is part of a broader strategy to deepen the bank’s engagement with Rwandans through sport.
She noted that with nearly one million customers already, the bank aims to significantly expand its reach by tapping into football’s wide popularity across the country.
“BK has operated in Rwanda for 60 years, working closely with Rwandans. We currently serve close to one million customers, but we feel that is not enough. We believe we can reach three million, and working with Rwanda Premier League makes that possible because football is widely loved in Rwanda,” she said.
Dr. Karusisi emphasized that football has evolved beyond entertainment into a business sector with strong economic potential, adding that the bank has drawn lessons from Rwanda’s international sports partnerships, including collaborations with clubs such as Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, and Atlético Madrid under the Visit Rwanda initiative.
Rwanda Premier League Chairman Hadji Mudaheranwa said the deal will directly improve club revenues, with a revised distribution model expected to increase the share of earnings allocated to teams.
He explained that clubs previously received 60% of league revenues, but under the new arrangement, their share could rise to more than 70%, depending on performance-based incentives.
“We currently share 60% of Rwanda Premier League revenues among the 16 clubs. With BK coming on board and the value of this partnership, additional incentives will be introduced based on club performance, meaning clubs could earn over 70% of total revenues,” he said.
Rwanda Premier League CEO Jules Karangwa confirmed that 250 million Rwandan francs will be disbursed immediately to support the ongoing season, while the remaining 3 billion francs will be released over five years. He added that Bank of Kigali will contribute 600 million francs annually.
Karangwa noted that the revenue distribution model will combine equal sharing among clubs with performance-based rewards, aimed at improving competitiveness and professionalism within the league.
The new partnership comes after the exit of AZAM Media Ltd in 2019, which left Rwandan top-flight football without a major sponsor and contributed to financial strain among several clubs.
Since then, many teams have struggled with limited resources, affecting operations and competitiveness.
The BK Pro League deal is now widely seen as a turning point for Rwandan football, offering renewed financial stability and raising expectations for long-term growth and professionalization of the league.
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