Harambee Starlets Stage Protest Over Unpaid Allowances Hours After Ruto Declares KSh33 Million Has Been Paid
Kenya’s preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) have been overshadowed by a dramatic standoff after Harambee Starlets players staged protests over alleged unpaid allowances—just a day after President William Ruto publicly announced that all outstanding government payments had been cleared.
The players gathered outside the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Goal Project offices in Kasarani on Wednesday, demanding the immediate settlement of what they described as pending allowances before travelling for their final pre-tournament training camp in France.
The demonstrations came less than 24 hours after the national women’s team was hosted by President Ruto at State House, Nairobi, in recognition of their qualification for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which will be held in Morocco from July 25 to August 16.
Videos seen by this publication show a section of the squad singing, dancing and chanting slogans as they surrounded the FKF offices, insisting they would not travel until their financial grievances were addressed.
“No money, no France! No money, no WAFCON!” the players repeatedly chanted, threatening to boycott both the training camp and the continental tournament unless their dues were paid.
The protest reportedly began shortly after some members of the squad had already departed for France, with those remaining insisting they would not board their flights until the outstanding payments were resolved.
Ruto’s KSh33 Million Assurance
The demonstrations have raised fresh questions after President Ruto announced during Tuesday’s State House luncheon that the government had already released more than KSh33 million to clear pending allowances owed to Kenya’s national football teams.
Addressing the players, the President said he had received confirmation from Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangangi that all outstanding government obligations had 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 to make sure that all of us are going in the right direction,” President Ruto said.
According to the Head of State, the payments covered outstanding allowances owed to Harambee Stars, Harambee Starlets, the Junior Starlets and Kenya’s national futsal team.
However, Wednesday’s protests appeared to contradict those assurances, with the players maintaining that they were still waiting for money they believe is owed to them.
Fresh Questions Ahead of WAFCON
The latest developments have cast a shadow over Kenya’s final preparations for the continental championship, where Harambee Starlets will be seeking to make an impact after securing qualification for the tournament.
The dispute has also reignited concerns over player welfare and administrative coordination, despite the team’s high-profile State House send-off and government assurances that all financial obligations had been met.
By the time of publication, neither the Ministry of Sports nor the Football Kenya Federation had issued an official statement responding to the players’ claims or explaining the apparent discrepancy between the President’s remarks and the protests.
The Starlets are expected to hold a pre-WAFCON training camp in France before travelling to Morocco for the tournament, scheduled to run from July 25 to August 16.
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