REVEALED! What happened to Sh50million promised by Ruto after Harambee Stars’ AFCON qualification

Millions await Stars as CAF confirms Kenya's Nations Cup slot

Harambee Stars players and the technical bench will be paid Sh50million after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed the team’s qualification to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Sports Principal Secretary Peter Kaberia confirmed the money which was promised by Deputy President William Ruto one month ago will be paid to the team.

Ruto while visiting Harambee Stars camp ahead of a qualification match against Ethiopia pledged to give the team Sh50million if they qualified for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

“Now that we expect to have the sports fund up and running in the next few weeks, we will definitely pay the money as promised,” said Kaberia.

On Friday, Ruto also announced that Sh1.5billion has been set aside to reward teams and players who bring glory and honor to the country in international events.

The executive committee of CAF meeting in Ghana on Friday announced that Sierra Leone have been banned from the tournament effectively handing Stars a place in the Africa Cup of  Nations finals for the first time in 15 years.

The venue of the tournament is not yet known after Cameroon were stripped of the hosting rights for not being ready.

Following the decision of CAF to suspend Sierra Leone, Kenya leads group ‘F’ with seven points and are followed by Ghana who have six points. Ethiopia are bottom of the group with a single point.

DP William Ruto

Kenya had lost the opening match of the qualifiers to Sierra Leone 2-1 away and it is a result that has now come back to favor them after the West African country was suspended.

Following the decision of CAF to suspend Sierra Leone, Kenya leads group ‘F’ with seven points and are followed by Ghana who have six points. Ethiopia are bottom of the group with a single point.

For Harambee Stars coach Sebastian  Migne the news was the perfect  birthday gift.

Migne who was turning 46 on Friday, was over the moon after receiving the news on the same day CAF also shortlisted Kenya for the team of the year award handing the Frenchman  double joy.

“You know Friday was my birthday and so when I got the news I was very delighted. When I made the decision to come to Kenya this year, most of my friends thought I was crazy but today I have been vindicated,” he said.

Migne said the qualification was a big boost to Kenyan football and a motivation to his players who have worked extremely hard in the last few months to ensure it happens.

“It is big deal for the players considering that the last time Harambee Stars played in the tournament is more than 15 years ago and some of them would have retired without featuring in the competition.

 “Going to the tournament, we are determined to do well and make a good impression but iam not promising that we can win. Before Zambia won the competition they had qualified many many times and so we would have to do the same before thinking of lifting the cup.

“Going there next year is a good start and we need to build on it from there on and then we can start thinking of bigger things.”

Utilities

- -In 2004, Kenya won just one match in the tournament played in Tunisia