Taarifa has exclusively learned that the City of Kigali (CoK) has approached three Kigali-based football clubs — AS Kigali, Kiyovu Sports and Gasogi United — with a proposal to merge and form a single team, a move that could significantly reshape the football landscape in the capital.

The three clubs currently operate as independent entities within Rwanda’s football structure, and the idea has already triggered debate among football administrators, analysts and club officials over its legal, financial and technical feasibility.

Taarifa sought clarification from Kigali City Mayor Samuel Dusengiyumva regarding the motivation behind the proposal, the conditions communicated to the clubs and how much the City of Kigali spends annually supporting football activities in the capital.

Questions were also raised about the practical implications of merging clubs already competing in the Rwanda Premier League. The mayor had not responded by press time.

Public records and sports reports indicate that Kigali City remains one of the largest institutional financiers of football in the capital.

The city currently provides direct funding to AS Kigali, the municipal club, which receives an estimated Rwf257 million annually from the city. However, the club’s overall operating budget is believed to exceed Rwf700 million per season once player salaries, travel, technical staff and competition logistics are included.

The funding gap has previously created financial pressure for the club, including delayed salary payments in some seasons.

While AS Kigali is the only club directly owned by the city, Kigali’s influence extends beyond the municipal team through logistical support, access to facilities and indirect sponsorship of football activities in the capital.

Sources familiar with internal discussions say the city has recently been reviewing its sports expenditure as part of broader fiscal adjustments.

Some analysts believe the proposed merger could be interpreted as a “guerilla tactic” aimed at gradually reducing or restructuring Kigali City’s financial obligations in football without announcing a direct withdrawal from sponsorship.

Gasogi United president and founder Charles Kakooza declined to comment directly on the alleged proposal but made it clear that his club cannot be compelled to merge with other entities.

“Gasogi United is an independently registered entity. There is no way it can be forced into a merger, dissolution or any other arrangement. It can’t work,” Kakooza said.

Rwanda Football Federation president Fabrice Shema confirmed he had heard about the discussions but stressed that the matter does not fall under the federation’s jurisdiction.

“I learned about it, but it is not under my jurisdiction, so there is nothing I can do about it,” Shema said. “However, it would be unfortunate because such a move undermines sports development.”

He added that he understands the City of Kigali may face financial constraints and that it ultimately has the discretion to decide how it allocates its resources.

The situation is further complicated by recent commercial partnerships signed by some of the clubs.

Kiyovu Sports recently entered into a long-term partnership with Jayrutty Investment East Africa Ltd, a Tanzanian company providing services across several sectors including beverages, construction, cargo, soap manufacturing and sports gear distribution.

Jayrutty Investment East Africa Ltd has been expanding its presence in sports merchandising across East and Central Africa and is known for supplying sports apparel, jerseys, equipment and branded merchandise to professional teams.

In Rwanda, the company signed a major merchandise and partnership agreement with Rayon Sports valued at approximately US$3.5 million over multiple seasons, according to media reports.

Sources familiar with the Kiyovu agreement say the club signed a 10-year contract with Jayrutty Investment East Africa Ltd to supply sports apparel, jerseys and merchandise.

The deal is estimated to be worth about US$500,000 per year at the start of the contract and is expected to gradually increase to approximately US$700,000 annually toward the final years of the agreement.

The contract also includes a termination clause stating that if Kiyovu Sports exits the agreement before the end of the 10-year period, the club would still be required to pay the remaining value of the contract, subject to a 10 percent deduction.

Such provisions could expose the club to substantial financial liabilities if structural changes, such as a merger or dissolution, were to occur.

Gasogi United has also signed a commercial agreement with Jayrutty Investment East Africa Ltd valued at more than Rwf1.45 billion for the supply of sports equipment, jerseys and merchandise over several years, according to reports by Kigali Today.

These long-term sponsorship arrangements could complicate any attempt to merge the clubs, as contractual obligations would still need to be honoured even if one or more of the teams ceased to exist as independent entities.

Sports analysts say the proposal also faces serious regulatory and structural obstacles within Rwanda’s football system.

Under standard football governance rules, dissolving existing clubs and creating a new entity would not automatically guarantee a place in the Rwanda Premier League.

Instead, the newly formed team could be required to begin competing in the lower divisions, potentially starting in Division Three and working its way up through promotion.

Such a process could also result in the termination of contracts for dozens of professional players, coaches and administrative staff currently employed by the three clubs.

For now, the proposal remains sole idea by City of Kigali officials, and largely contested.

However, the discussions have already sparked intense debate within Rwanda’s football community about the sustainability of club financing in Kigali and the long-term structure of football in the capital.