Harambee Starlets Protest Over Unpaid Allowances Hours After Meeting Ruto
On Wednesday, Harambee Starlets players held a protest outside the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Goal Project offices in Kasarani.
The football queens demanded a quick payment of their outstanding allowances.
The protests occurred a day after the players visited with President William Ruto at State House, where he invited them for a luncheon celebrating their qualification for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
According to video footage released online, a few of the players protested immediately after some of their colleagues apparently left for the team’s final pre-WAFCON training camp in France.
Harambee Starlets players have staged a protest at the FKF Goal Project offices demanding the immediate payment of their outstanding allowances before departing for their final pre-WAFCON training camp in France. pic.twitter.com/OVrnVan9V9— Ole Teya (@TeyaKevin) July 15, 2026
The protesting players demanded that all overdue allowances be cleared before they could go.
They also argued that they should not enter the crucial phase of their preparations with unresolved financial concerns.
In the footage, they are seen breaking into songs and dance, chanting slogans threatening to boycott travel to France as well as the tournament altogether.
Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi is currently engaging Harambee Starlets players in a bid to persuade them to end their go-slow over unpaid allowances and proceed with their scheduled trip to France.
The players remain inside the federation’s offices, insisting they will… pic.twitter.com/7G6T0PHpWH— Ole Teya (@TeyaKevin) July 15, 2026
“No money, no France, no money, no WAFCON,” they chanted as they surrounded the offices.
During the State House meeting, however, President Ruto confirmed that all pending allowances had been paid, raising concerns over the fresh protests.
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According to the Head of State, the Principal Secretary for Sports, Elijah Mwangangi, has cleared all pending allowances owed to Kenya’s national teams, amounting to over Ksh33 million.
“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,” Ruto stated during the meeting.
Harambee Starlets Coach Beldine Odemba appeals to President Ruto to facilitate KBC’s acquisition of WAFCON broadcast rights.#WorldCupIkoKBC pic.twitter.com/OHs73WclQR— KBC Channel 1 News (@KBCChannel1) July 14, 2026
The Ministry of Sports had outstanding allowances owed to Harambee Stars, Harambee Starlets, the Junior Starlets and the national futsal team, but President Ruto said the payments have since been settled.
The latest protests raise fresh questions over player welfare and administrative preparedness, despite the high-profile State House send-off and the team’s final push toward the tournament.
By the time of this publication, neither the ministry nor FKF had issued a statement responding to the claims of unpaid allowance.
Kenya qualified for the WAFCON tournament scheduled for Morocco from July 25 to August 16, with the team expected to travel to France for a pre-tournament camp before the competition officially begins.
Harambee Starlets Protest Over Unpaid Allowances Hours After Meeting Ruto
