President William Ruto has announced a Ksh 1 million housing grant for every member of the Harambee Stars CHAN 2024 squad following the team’s impressive performance at its debut campaign and unveiled a massive increase in monetary rewards for all Kenyan athletes across all disciplines.
This dual announcement marks a significant boost for sports in the country, rewarding past heroics while incentivizing future world-class performance.
The President pledged the grant to each of the 27 players and 15 technical bench members with the sum set to cover half the cost of a two-bedroom affordable house in a town of their choice under the government’s Affordable Housing Scheme.
To complete the purchase, the recipients must either top up the remaining Ksh 1 million or secure a mortgage, as the offer is strictly for housing and cannot be exchanged for cash.
Hosting the team at State House, President Ruto honored their campaign that saw them top a group containing powerhouses like Morocco, DRC, Angola, and Zambia.
“You brought everybody together as a nation,” said President Ruto, fulfilling a pre-tournament promise. “We now must prepare for AFCON 2027, and the journey begins today.”
Beyond football, the President announced a sweeping overhaul of cash prizes for athletes, representing a new era of government investment in sports.
Individual Olympic medallists will now receive KSh 3 million for gold (a sharp rise from KSh 750,000), KSh 2 million for silver, and KSh 1 million for bronze.
The increases for team sports are even more profound, with each athlete in a gold-winning team now earning KSh 750,000, a 650% increase from the previous Ksh 100,000. Silver medallists will get KSh 500,000 per athlete, and bronze winners KSh 375,000, marking an average increase of 400% across the board.
An additional KSh 55 million has been set aside for awards from recent events, and a new Ksh 2.5 million bonus will be granted to teams upon qualifying for major international competitions.
Expressing confidence in the future, President Ruto affirmed the government’s commitment to supporting sports “professionally and with integrity.” Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy welcomed the support, stating it was crucial for the nation’s sporting success.
