George Natembeya Questions Ruto's KSh 600m Pledge, KSh 42m Gift to Harambee Stars Players
- President William Ruto fulfilled a promise to reward Harambee Stars players and the technical team after their victory against DR Congo
- Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya raised concerns about the unbudgeted source of funds used for the generous player rewards
- The government confirmed additional rewards would follow future matches, keeping momentum and morale high for the national football team
Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features for digital and print media.
Even as Harambee Stars players smile after receiving hefty rewards from President William Ruto, questions are emerging over the source of the funds used for the gesture.
Source: Facebook
Trans Nzoia governor George Natembeya raised concerns about the origin of the money, despite acknowledging the motivation behind the president's ultimate KSh 600 million pledge to the players.
What does Natembeya want to know?
He made the inquiries during an interview at Hot 96 on Sunday, August 3, before the start of the CHAN 2024 tournament.
Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner ;)
“The KSh 1 million is a good gesture, but where is the money coming from? Is that how we develop talents? I didn’t see that money in the budget,” Natembeya said, further questioning an increase in the sports budget from KSh 200 million to KSh 600 million.
“The ministry had agreed on KSh 200 million, but he said he was increasing it to KSh 600 million—an additional KSh 400 million. Where has that money come from? The government is structured and organised; you have to start with a budget. If we didn’t have CHAN, who would have spent that money? It’s like it was just hanging somewhere,” he added.
How many Harambee Stars players did Ruto gift?
His comments follow the fulfilment of a promise made by Ruto, who awarded KSh 1 million each to 27 Harambee Stars players and 15 technical staff members—totalling KSh42 million—after Kenya’s 1-0 victory over DR Congo on Sunday, August 3.
According to State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya led ministry officials in delivering the cash.
The government announced that a similar package awaits the team if they win their next match against Angola.
Meanwhile, Austin Odhiambo, Gor Mahia’s attacking midfielder, secured the crucial victory for Harambee Stars with a powerful low strike last minutes of the first half.
The lone goal sent the crowd into celebration, drawing praise from national leaders who hailed the team’s strong start to the CHAN 2024 tournament.
What did Austin Odhiambo say after the win?
Meanwhile, speaking after Harambee Stars’ narrow win over DR Congo, Odhiambo reflected on the tough encounter, acknowledging areas needing improvement, particularly ball management.
Source: Twitter
Despite DR Congo dominating parts of the game, Odhiambo's decisive strike sealed the victory for Kenya. He expressed determination to keep pushing for the team’s success in the tournament.
The midfielder’s performance earned widespread praise, with one teammate posting a celebratory TikTok video thanking him for the win that secured them the KSh 1 million presidential reward.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
