Gold medalists to pocket Ksh.3M as State boosts rewards for Olympic, World champs

Kenyan athletes will now pocket hefty cash rewards for medals won in Olympics and World Championships, after the Ministry of Sports announced a massive increase in the bonuses.

Speaking at the 2025 Kip Keino Classic media launch in Nairobi, Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya and Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi revealed that gold medalists will now earn Ksh.3 million, up from Ksh.750,000. Silver winners will pocket Ksh.2 million.

“Equally in the ministry we have already approved new rates for cash awards specifically for World Championships and the Olympics. We have reviewed from Ksh.750,000 for a gold winner up to Ksh.3 million. Equally, for position two, silver medalist, they will receive Ksh.2 million up from Ksh.500,000,” said PS Mwangi.

“Already we are compiling our list and we expect our Cabinet Secretary to soon invite all the athletes who have competed and won in the last few years for those cash awards,” he added.

CS Mvurya echoed the PS’s remarks, emphasizing that the move is part of broader reforms to motivate athletes and celebrate them as national icons on the world stage.

“You’ve been told we have increased the cash rewards and that means we would want more Kenyans to win so that they can enjoy the new rates that we have already approved.”

The announcement comes as Team Kenya intensifies preparations for the 2025 World Athletics Championships, set to take place from September 13–21, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan.

With Kenya’s rich athletics legacy and rising success in other sports, the revamped reward scheme is set to inspire a new generation of athletes, driven not just by medals, but by meaningful national recognition and reward.