Irony of Kenya spending Ksh1 billion on Bayern and Ajax but can’t pay Harambee Stars allowances

President William Ruto announced on Wednesday that European football giants Bayern Munich and Ajax Amsterdam will play in Kenya in January during the opening of Talanta Stadium.

The two clubs confirmed the clash, set for January 5, 2027, but while there is excitement among some Kenyans, others are not happy.

Those not happy feel Kenyan teams should have been given priority while others are questioning the huge cost involved against other more pressing needs in the country.

Already, it has been confirmed that Bayern will be paid €5 million (Ksh727 million) in appearance fees while unconfirmed reports claim Ajax could earn about €2.5 million (Ksh363 million) for a total of Ksh1 billion.

That is besides paying for transport and accommodation of the two teams and their delegations. While the President said the match will be funded through “corporate partnerships and a self-sustaining commercial model,” not everyone is convinced.

His critics feel he is getting his priorities wrong at the expense of influencing Kenyans to vote for him during the 2027 elections instead of spending public resources on things that ‘really matter.’

What is more, the Ksh1 billion looks like a slap on the face of Kenyan football. Just last month, Harambee Stars players boycotted training for nearly one week, due to unpaid allowances, dating back to matches played in November 2025.

While in August, their female counterparts, Harambee Starlets had to stage a protest at the Football Kenya Federation headquarters over unpaid dues ahead of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

The Starlets players insisted that they would only board the plane to Morocco for the tournament after their dues were paid in full.

Both teams were subsequently paid before they went on to play but still, it was still partial payments as there were murmurs of discontent over the amounts wired to their accounts with the players saying it was not fully what they were entitled to.

Harambee Stars players were reportedly demanding around Ksh80,000 each for games against Senegal and Lesotho played in November 2025 and June 2026, which translates to Ksh2.4 million for a 30-man delegation.

However, the government, which is tasked with paying national team dues, dragged its feet until the players staged a sit-in, only rushing to clear the outstanding payments to avoid embarrassment.

It is perhaps why the game between Bayern and Ajax has its critics even if the intention from the President is to show that “world-class sport can attract private investment, earn its own revenue and create lasting opportunities.”