Money is the reward, details remain scanty

Issa Sekatawa is widely known to have been the first Ugandan sports personality to sign endorsement deals. In his prime, he was as shiny as his nickname – Golden Boy.
Sekatawa was adored by fans from all clubs and regularly moved with a legion of followers. Those were the 80s and it was meant to be the breakthrough as companies signed him.

The business of sports signing lucrative endorsement deals globally goes back to 1905 when baseball ace Honus Wagner signed with cigarettes and Louisville Sluggers for $75.
The financial reward is what makes the deal. Here, it’s not just Sekatawa whose finances cannot be traced even as the endorsement culture grows.

As Uganda Tourism Board unveiled Joshua Cheptegei as an ambassador, they refused to reveal any details in the deal that could be the biggest so far.
“When UTB first approached Cheptegei last October, they gave him Shs400m and he turned it down. The present deal must be in excess of a billion per year and that’s why he signed,” a source says.

The same drill applies to Denis Onyango who was taken up by Gal’s Sport Betting.
No financial details were given but Score can reveal the Uganda Cranes captain is receiving $30,000 (Shs110m) over the next 12 months.
Before those, Olympic and world champions Stephen Kiprotich was reportedly paid $50,000 (Shs185m) by Aqua Sipi Mineral Water in endorsement.