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Kenyan businessman Paul Ndung’u, a key figure behind the growth of SportPesa, the country’s leading sports betting platform, has been ordered by a London court to repay Ksh374 million ($2.9 million) to former co-shareholders, capping a long-running dispute over ownership of the betting firm.
The order follows Ndung’u’s failed attempt to reclaim a 17 percent stake in SportPesa, the sports betting company he helped co-found in 2014. The case centers on disagreements over control and shareholder rights that split the founding group after SportPesa became one of East Africa’s most recognizable betting brands.
SportPesa grew quickly in Kenya and neighboring markets, helped by heavy marketing and sponsorships tied to football. But as the business expanded, relations among shareholders deteriorated, eventually spilling into courtrooms in Kenya and the United Kingdom.
Court ruling blocks Ndung’u’s appeal
In a ruling delivered on Dec. 10, 2025, the UK court dismissed Ndung’u’s attempt to appeal earlier decisions. The judge also ordered him to pay legal costs accumulated by his former partners during years of litigation.
The decision leaves Ndung’u with no immediate legal path back into the company. Court filings show that the dispute focused on whether earlier agreements allowed him to revive his stake after changes in the firm’s structure. The court sided with the other shareholders, finding no basis to reopen the ownership arrangement.
Ndung’u, once closely associated with SportPesa’s public profile, had already been pushed out of day-to-day involvement following internal restructuring and regulatory pressure on the gambling sector.
A turbulent end for a founding partner
The ruling underscores the risks that often surface when fast-growing companies face weak shareholder protections and changing regulations. Tighter regulation and higher taxes have changed the betting market in Kenya, making it harder for owners and operators to make mistakes.
While Ndung’u’s legal loss is personal, it also reflects broader tensions common in high-growth African businesses, where early partnerships can fray once money, control and regulation collide. SportPesa itself has survived the fallout. Control of the company has shifted toward institutional investors and foreign partners following the exit of several original backers.
The journey and expansion of SportPesa
A group of Kenyan and Bulgarian investors, including Paul Wanderi Ndung'u, who was a significant shareholder holding a 17 percent stake in the original operating company, Pevans East Africa, founded SportPesa in 2014.
It has, over the years, gained popularity through rapid growth and prominent international sports sponsorships. Kenya’s tougher gambling laws eventually forced the company to withdraw from the local market, trimming staff and operations.
Since then, SportPesa has focused on meeting regulatory standards elsewhere while reshaping its ownership structure. For Ndung’u, the court order closes a chapter that began with early success and ended in a costly legal defeat.
