Ruto Promises Ksh2.5M Each for Harambee Stars if They Beat Zambia

Harambee Stars players are set for heftier payouts going forward, with President William Ruto promising to gift each player with Ksh2.5 million if they secure a victory against Zambia in their final group A game.
President Ruto spoke on Monday, August 11, at the Pullman Hotel, Upper Hill, Nairobi, where he met the players following their impressive 1-0 victory against Morocco at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, on Sunday.
During the engagement, Ruto assured the players of his earlier promise of Ksh1 million for every group game player but raised the stakes higher for the final group match against Zambia.
In addition, the president also promised to award each Harambee Stars player Ksh1 million and an affordable housing unit should they secure a victory in the quarter-final of the African Nations Championships (CHAN 2024).
“The Harambee Stars are proof of what unity can achieve. They have brought the country together, and we are all witnessing the success it is bringing to the nation. We stand behind you, praying that this time we win will CHAN because it’s within close reach,” Ruto said in a statement.
In the wake of the 1-0 win against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Harambee Stars players, led by their goalkeeperFaruk Shikhalo, urged the president to ‘remember them’ on the issue of affordable housing.
In response, Ruto promised to make arrangements to see how the players could secure the government-issued housing facilities.
Tipped to struggle against a tough group, Kenya, who are co-hosts of CHAN 2024 alongside Uganda and Tanzania, have exceeded expectations, following up the win against the DRC with a hard-earned draw against Angola.
But perhapstheir most impressive performance of the tournament as of August 11came against Morocco, ranked first in Africa in the latest FIFA rankings. With 10 men for large parts of the game, the Harambee Stars beat the Atlas Lions 1-0 thanks to a goal by Ryan Wesley Ogam.
From the first three matches, accounting for the initial promise made by the President, all Harambee Stars players have pocketed Ksh2.5 million.
The Harambee Stars have all but made it to the quarterfinal of the 19-team tournament, as they sit top of Group A with seven points from three games. Morocco and Angola have an outside chance of toppling Kenya from the top spot, but this would need the other team to drop points as well.
Meanwhile, there is an outside chanceKenya could face Tanzania in the CHAN 2024 quarter-final,with the Taifa Stars also securing a ticket to the last eight thanks to a flawless run in Group B with three wins from three.