Fresh concerns have emerged from within the Kenya Judo fraternity, with players now saying payments owed to athletes and members of the technical bench have still not been made.
In a new message sent to this publication, a player who requested anonymity pleaded for continued public pressure, saying those affected are worried and suffering as they wait for payment.
“Hi bro. Kindly keep raising your voice on the issue of payment for the Judo players, technical bench. As players we are worried because payment has not been done. Please as players we are really suffering. Keep injecting please. Hide my identity,” the player said.
The latest plea adds to a growing list of complaints surrounding the Kenya Judo Federation, which has already been facing questions over athlete welfare, delayed allowances, unpaid volunteers, missing kits, failed international plans and alleged financial mismanagement.
For the players, this is no longer just an administrative delay. Many athletes depend on small jobs, casual work and sports-related facilitation to survive. When they are called into camp, competitions or federation activities, they sacrifice time, income and personal plans with the expectation that payments will be handled properly and on time.
Instead, players now say they are being left in uncertainty, with no clear explanation on when they will receive their money.
The concerns also extend to the technical bench, meaning coaches and support staff who help prepare athletes are also allegedly waiting for payment. This raises serious questions about how the federation planned, budgeted and managed its obligations around recent judo activities.
The Kenya Judo Federation should publicly explain why players and technical bench members have not been paid, when the payments will be made, how much is owed, who approved the payment schedule and whether funds meant for athlete facilitation were released.
Public sports money must first serve athletes, coaches and support staff. If people who train, compete and work on the ground are still crying for payment while officials remain silent, then the problem is not just delayed money. It is broken accountability.
Kenyan athletes are not decorations for officials to use when applying for funds. They are the reason federations exist.
The Ministry of Sports, Sports Fund, NOCK and relevant oversight agencies should urgently intervene and ensure that all pending payments owed to judo players and the technical bench are settled without further delay.