Gov’t clears Harambee Starlets allowances ahead of AWCON campaign

The Principal Secretary for the State Department for Sports Elijah Mwangi met with the team at the FKF offices and confirmed that the Ministry has released Ksh 20 million to be split between the Harambee Starlets and the Junior Starlets squads.

The protest came at a critical juncture for the senior team, who had threatened to boycott their upcoming high-performance training camp in Miramas, France, if the government failed to settle their unpaid dues.

The squad is scheduled to fly out to France on Wednesday to fine-tune their claws before heading to Morocco for their second-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (AWCON) appearance, where they are set to face Senegal, Algeria, and hosts in the tournament running from July 25 to August 16.

The sudden standoff occurred just hours after President William Ruto officially flagged off the team at State House, where he had assured that all outstanding national team allowances had already been settled.

"I have been briefed by the PS that all the allowances have been paid, and we have made sure that whatever it is that is part of the government has been done because he tells me he has already paid out Ksh33 million," President Ruto said on Tuesday.

Addressing the players, PS Mwangi reiterated the government’s commitment to nurturing female football talent across the country.

“The President made a promise to you of incentivizing you with Ksh 20 million. Today, I am here to deliver that promise to you and wish the team a successful campaign,” he said.

Harambee Starlets Captain Mwanahalima Adam thanked the President for keeping his word, adding that the players are now fully focused on the task ahead.

She emphasized that the team was determined to honour their promise by delivering a historic performance in Morocco.

“We are happy and thankful that the President has kept his word. The remaining part is now for us to go and showcase the kind of game we have,” she said.

Top FKF officials present during the Wednesday meeting include FKF President Hussein Mohammed and General Secretary Dennis Gicheru.