Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed has lifted the lid on the exact amounts of money that Harambee Stars players and their technical bench have been receiving in allowances and bonuses over the past two months.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Sunday, Hussein explained that the federation had done everything possible to ensure that the national team was fairly rewarded for their efforts on the pitch.
“Whatever the team gets is purely the effort of the federation. We always do everything in our power to make sure the players and the technical staff are properly remunerated,” he stated.
Allowances and Bonuses Breakdown
Hussein revealed that the Harambee Stars squad that participated in the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament had 27 players in total. However, he noted that the government only catered for 24 players, leaving the federation to handle the extra expenses.
“You’ve got allowances for the players and the technical staff. We had 27 players, yet the government only provided for 24, so the federation had to cover the balance,” he explained.
According to Hussein, allowances and bonuses paid to the team for the months of July and August amounted to about Ksh21 million. He clarified that these payments covered both the players and the technical staff.
“Those allowances that we have already paid to the national team, combined with other bonuses, total around Ksh21 million. All of this was given directly to the players as allowances,” he said.
President Ruto’s Contribution
In addition to what FKF provided, Hussein disclosed that President William Ruto had personally rewarded the team with Ksh232 million in bonuses. This amount was separate from the federation’s support and was meant to further motivate the squad.
He explained that the allowances were paid in July while the team was in camp, and payments for August continued right up to the day before his statement was made.
“Allowances were paid in July when the team was in camp, and also in August up to yesterday. Then, on top of that, there is the bonus money given by the President,” Hussein said.
This means that, in total, the Harambee Stars players and the technical team have received about Ksh253 million over the last two months. However, Hussein pointed out that this amount was shared between both the players and technical staff, meaning the actual per-player share is much lower.
Extra Incentives from the President
President Ruto had earlier promised the team more incentives tied to performance. On Monday, August 11, he announced that each player and technical bench member would receive Ksh2.5 million if they beat Zambia in their final group stage match — which they did on Sunday, August 17.
In addition, Ruto pledged to give Ksh1 million and a two-bedroom Affordable Housing apartment to every player if they managed to win their quarter-final clash. The President had also set aside Ksh60 million as a reward for the team upon reaching the quarter-final stage of the tournament.
No Interference in Squad Selection
Hussein also took the opportunity to dismiss claims of interference in team selection. He reassured fans that head coach Benni McCarthy had full freedom to pick his squad based on merit and performance.
“There is no interference at all. The coach has the autonomy to choose the players he wants, and his decisions are based purely on merit,” he assured.
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