Kenyan sportsmen and women could now earn millions for representing the nation if the Sports (Amendment) Bill 2025 is passed in Parliament.
Riding on the wave of President William Ruto dishing out millions to Harambee Stars for their vivacious exploits in the 2024 CHAN tournament, Belgut Member of Parliament Nelson Koech has sponsored a Bill seeking to spread the reward to other Kenyan sports stars.
The proposed Bill seeks to provide for performance-based cash incentives to Kenyan sportspersons representing the country at the international stage, and for connected purposes.
It seeks to introduce section 55A, which directs that the Cabinet Secretary responsible for sports shall, in consultation with the Sports Fund, pay any Kenyan sportsperson of a team representing the Republic of Kenya at an international sporting event one million shillings for each goal scored, point earned, or equivalent scoring unit achieved in the event, whether or not such goal, point, or scoring unit leads to an eventual win.
It also proposes a reward of one million shillings for each win achieved at an international sporting event, defined as a competition sanctioned by an international sports federation or governing body in which Kenya is officially represented.
According to the Bill, the incentives shall be paid from the Sports Fund, established under Section 12, within thirty days of the official conclusion of the event.
Koech further outlined broader provisions empowering the Cabinet Secretary, with Parliament’s approval, to make regulations for effective implementation. These would cover procedures for verifying performance, eligible sports disciplines, payment modalities, and dispute resolution.
Justifying the Bill, Koech cited President William Ruto’s pledge of a one-million-shilling reward for every win by the national football team at CHAN, noting the offer had a significant motivational effect that boosted performance and national pride.
“This amendment seeks to institutionalise such incentives across all sporting disciplines at the international level, ensuring consistency, fairness, and predictability in rewarding exemplary performance,” he said.
He added that the move would establish a transparent, structured mechanism for rewarding athletes while aligning Kenya with global best practices in State-backed incentives for national representatives.
On Monday, August 11, Ruto promised the Harambee Stars team and technical bench Ksh2.5 million each if they beat Zambia in their final group game on Sunday, August 17.
In addition, President Ruto pledged Ksh1 million and a two-bedroom Affordable Housing apartment for each player if the team secured victory in the quarter-final of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN). He had earlier promised Ksh60 million for reaching the same stage of the tournament.
To date, each member of the men’s national football team has earned a total of Ksh2.5 million from their CHAN campaign. Many observers credit Ruto’s incentives as a key factor behind the team’s impressive performances, despite widespread expectations that they would not advance far in the competition.
If Kenya were to go all the way and win the final, Ruto had promised a whooping Ksh600 million kitty. Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko promised to top up another Ksh400 million, bringing the total reward to a staggering Ksh1 billion.
