The Ministry of Sports has been told to pay Harambee Stars the Sh50 million pledge made by Deputy President William Ruto.
In October 2018, Ruto pledged to reward the Stars players if they qualified for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations when he paid the team a visit at the Kasarani stadium in the build-up to the qualifying match against Ghana.
Four months down the line and with Stars already assured of a place in the Afcon finals, the DP is yet to honor his words. This has forced the Parliament to jump into the matter.
“The money has not been paid and I am not aware of its whereabouts. I was not there when the DP made this promise,” Sports PS Kirimi Kaberia told the Parliamentary Committee on Sports, on Tuesday.
Kaberia however, explained that the cash could be part of a Sh244 million budget set aside for Stars preparations for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
This month-long tournament kicks off in Egypt on June 21, and Stars are expected to camp in France for three weeks to prepare.
“It (this money) cannot be in the budget because it was not an official government promise,” said Machakos Town MP Joseph Munyaka who chairs the committee.
“The promise must be honoured because failure to do so will trigger a hue and cry in the team and puncture the morale of the boys ahead of the tournament.”