Exclusive: Rwanda Premier League CEO unpacks growth strategies

From launching a new logo to landing massive sponsorship, Rwanda Premier League has set itself on a growth trajectory while hoping the commercial deals will improve results on the pitch.

Rwanda Premier League (RPL) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jules Karangwa has unpacked how his body’s long-term objectives to professionalise and commercialise the BK Pro League are on track.

A new chapter begins.

Thank you @BankofKigali, for trusting our vision and stepping in as our title sponsor.

Welcome to the BK Pro League the future starts now. 🚀#DaretobeMore #BankiyaRuhago pic.twitter.com/WvjVFwF55A

— Jules Karangwa (@KarangwaJules) April 25, 2026

In an exclusive interview with Pan-Africa Football on Wednesday, 29th April 2026, the league’s boss cited Bank of Kigali’s five-year sponsorship worth $2,227,350 USD (3.25bn Rwanda Francs) as part of the fulfilment of the league’s objectives.

Bank of Kigali sets tone for league support

RPL signed the agreement with the commercial bank at Amahoro Stadium in the capital Kigali on Friday, 24th April 2026.

“Having a banking partner in our portfolio is a big boost,” Karangwa told Pan-Africa Football. “The incentives will have a massive impact on the whole league ecosystem and not just the prize money.”

“Before the Bank of Kigali came in, we had increased prize money to 280 million Rwanda francs. The USD 200,000 [280 million Rwanda Francs] is for the best eight-ranked teams, starting with the best team getting 80,000 million Rwanda Francs.

“It was an increase of around 70 percent from 25 million Rwanda Francs to 80 million Rwanda Francs. We increased the prize money by 55 million Rwanda Francs, and we have added seven best teams.”

“This partnership is only going to continue growing and increasing the journey we had started to professionalise and commercialise the league.

Translating sponsorship into success

Karangwa disclosed that apart from the prize money, teams and their personnel will be able to access banking and financial services through the sponsorship, to empower themselves economically.

He said: “In any country for football to grow, you always need banks and this sponsorship goes way more than the USD2 million throughout the five years of the sponsorship, but also the services and opportunities we are getting.

“For example, teams sometimes struggle to pay salaries, but now they will be allowed to get overdraft loans. If you have a banking partner, there are so many opportunities…”

The CEO said they expect the financial injection to have a ripple effect onto the field of play beyond the BK Pro League into the CAF inter-club competitions.

“Sometimes football doesn’t give you the results you want if you don’t have the financial sustainability,” Karangwa explained.

“It is one of the factors that has impeded our clubs in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup. [With the sponsorship], we believe that our clubs will be sustainable and professionally run, which paves the way for better performances in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.

“We believe starting with this partnership, we are putting ourselves on a position that within five years, we will have clubs competing regularly and consistently at the top of the CAF competitions.”

Targeting big-five in economic sector

The CEO said Bank of Kigali’s partnership is in line with the league’s strategy to partner the big-five in the domestic economic sector. He said this was in fulfilment of the Federation of Rwanda Football Association’s objectives of giving the league autonomy.

“As a separate entity established some two years ago, we are actually hitting and achieving objectives that this entity was established for—to professionalise and commercialise the league,” he said.

“We know that we are not yet there, but we have a vision and strategic goals. We have set the strategy to bring on board the big-five economic sectors into our partnership portfolio—we have a bank, [now, we will go for] telecommunications, brewery, betting then [an] insurance [partner]. We have scored one, now our focus turns to the others.”

BK Pro League comprises 18 teams and the ultimate champion represents the country in the CAF Champions League. APR FC, Rayon Sports FC, guest participants Al Hilal Omdurman and Al Merrikh are among the league’s giants.