Harambee Starlets players reportedly staged a protest outside the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Goal Project offices in Kasarani, demanding the immediate payment of what they said were outstanding allowances.
The demonstrations came barely a day after the squad was hosted by President William Ruto at State House for a celebratory luncheon following their qualification for the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Videos shared online by sports journalist Kevin Teya showed a section of the players protesting after some of their teammates had reportedly departed 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 insisted that all pending allowances be paid before they also travelled, saying they could not head into the crucial final phase of preparations while their financial concerns remained unresolved.
Footage from the scene showed the players singing, dancing and chanting slogans outside the FKF offices, declaring they would not travel to France or take part in the tournament unless they received their dues.
"No money, no France. No money, no WAFCON," they chanted.
The protest appeared to contradict remarks made by President Ruto during Tuesday's State House meeting, where he announced that all outstanding allowances had been settled.
Addressing the players, the President said Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangangi had confirmed that the government had cleared all pending payments owed to Kenya's national teams, amounting to more than Sh33 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 Sh33 million to make sure that all of us are going in the right direction," Ruto said.
The outstanding payments had affected several national teams, including Harambee Stars, Harambee Starlets, Junior Starlets and the national futsal team.
According to the President, all the dues had been cleared.
The latest protests have raised fresh concerns over player welfare and administrative preparedness, despite the high-profile State House send-off ahead of the tournament.
By the time of publication, neither the Ministry of Sports nor FKF had issued an official statement responding to the players' claims that some allowances remained unpaid.
Kenya qualified for the 2026 WAFCON, which will be held in Morocco from July 25 to August 16.
Before the tournament, the team is expected to travel to France for a pre-competition training camp.