President William Ruto has fulfilled his promise to reward the Harambee Stars players and their 15-member technical team following their historic 1–0 victory over DR Congo in the ongoing CHAN 2024 tournament.
According to a statement from State House, the funds were disbursed through the Ministry of Sports as a token of appreciation and motivation for the team’s outstanding performance.
“The Sports Ministry has released the funds, and a similar reward awaits the team if they win Thursday’s match against Angola,” said State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed.
President Ruto had earlier pledged financial rewards for every win the national team secures during the CHAN tournament, as part of an effort to boost morale and recognize the team’s efforts in representing Kenya on the continental stage.
Sunday’s match at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, saw Austin Odhiambo score a decisive first-half goal, earning Kenya its first-ever CHAN victory and raising hopes of advancing from Group A.
As anticipation builds ahead of Thursday’s clash with Angola, both fans and players are eyeing not just progression to the knockout stages—but also a second round of presidential bonuses.
A win against Angola would place Kenya in a commanding position in the group and move them closer to qualifying for the next round in a tournament co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania under the banner CHAN PAMOJA 2024.
The incentive scheme has been widely applauded by fans and sports analysts as a meaningful show of support for local players, many of whom compete under difficult financial circumstances.
Across the border in Tanzania, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has implemented a similar reward program for Taifa Stars after their strong tournament start. Tanzania defeated Burkina Faso 2–0 on Saturday at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
True to her word, President Suluhu rewarded the team with Tsh20 million (approximately KSh1 million) for the two goals scored—at a rate of Tsh10 million per goal during group stage and quarter-final matches.
