David GOMBE
Kenya’s Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Bishop Dr. Joseph Warui, has held high-level talks with Robbie Lyle, the founder and CEO of Arsenal Fan TV (AFTV), on the urgent need for African football matches to enjoy the same global broadcast prominence as other major leagues.
The meeting took place in London on Tuesday, August 12, shortly after Lyle’s visit to Kenya in May, where he experienced the country’s vibrant football culture first-hand. While in Nairobi, Lyle attended a massive Arsenal fan watch-party at Konqa254, met Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed, and held discussions with Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti on promoting grassroots and women’s football.
Dr. Warui said Lyle, whose AFTV channel has over 1.7 million YouTube subscribers and nearly 1.7 billion views, is now actively engaging with key stakeholders to address what they both described as an “imbalance” in how African leagues are broadcast internationally.
“Robbie’s commitment to showcasing African talent on the world stage is a major step forward,” Dr. Warui said.
He added, “African football has passion, skill, and a unique energy, it deserves to be seen by the same global audiences that follow other leagues.”
Robbie Lyle, a former BBC reggae radio presenter who turned AFTV into one of the most influential fan-led sports media platforms in the world, has been vocal about the need to give Africa’s football stories the same digital visibility as Europe’s top leagues.
The talks also touched on preparations for the upcoming African Digital Economy Summit, set for February in Nairobi, which will bring together top executives from YouTube, TikTok, and other global platforms. The summit aims to:
Equip young African creators with tools to monetize content effectively
Showcase Africa’s digital metrics to push for fair revenue parity
Promote responsible, uplifting content creation
“Social media is not just entertainment, it’s an economic engine,” Dr. Warui stressed.
“It’s time our continent secured equal footing in the global digital economy.”
Robbie Lyle’s trip to Kenya earlier this year gave him a close-up look at the energy and creativity of African football fans. From the electric atmosphere at packed fan parks to the hunger of young players chasing their dreams, he and the Kenyan envoy believe it’s time the rest of the world paid attention.
