This archive report was first published on 4 November 2019.
Published on November 4, 2019, a television sports show featured players from the Harambee Starlets, the national women's football team, sharing their hopes and aspirations for better performance. However, their optimism was short-lived as they revealed their frustrations with the government's lack of support.
The players, who had not received allowances for an unknown period, were facing eviction from their homes due to unpaid rent, and their children were out of school. Their situation was a stark reminder of the challenges faced by athletes in Kenya, where talent often turns into a 'mega curse'.
On Tuesday, Football Kenya Federation President Nick Mwendwa announced that he would break the Harambee Starlets camp due to the lack of funds from the Sports Ministry. He accused Principal Secretary Kirimi Kaberia of failing to release funds, citing the federation's failure to produce an audit of the funds received.
Mwendwa stated, 'We have accounted for money as required, we have applied and followed procedure. The PS has to pay or say he won’t. We can’t have one man doing this.'
However, instead of addressing the issue, Cabinet Secretary for Sports Amina Mohamed visited the team, making a 'timely intervention' that was met with gratitude from Deputy to Mwendwa, Doris Petra.
CS Mohamed said, 'We as the government, will create a suitable environment for the national team players to represent us as winners and hold our flag high. I am happy to come and visit you today as the Harambee Starlets team and wish you good luck in the game against Zambia.'
The situation highlights the need for the government to take sports funding seriously, creating employment opportunities for the youth and recognizing the value of sports in Kenya.
