President William Ruto has announced that the government will cover half the cost of two-bedroom homes under the Affordable Housing Program for Harambee Stars players.
Speaking during a luncheon at State House with the national team on Thursday, August 28, Ruto said that in the event the players do not pay the Ksh1 million, they will be offered a mortgage option.
"The two-bedroomed house that we had agreed on under our current arrangement in Affordable Housing costs Ksh2 million. We are going to pay for you half that amount; we are going to pay for you Ksh1 million, you pay the other Ksh1 million.
"We can also give you a mortgage that you can pay over 20 years. You are going to be paying something like Ksh2,000 or Ksh3,000 every month," he said.
Ruto further clarified that the offer could not be converted into cash and would strictly be limited to housing units across the country.
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"There is no room for exchanging the house with money. There is only the house and, as I told you, you will choose a house in a town you like.
"If you want it in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu or Eldoret, we are developing housing in 200 sites across Kenya. So you have an opportunity to choose which one," he added.
At the same time, Ruto outlined efforts the government is taking to strengthen support for athletes through a revised cash awards scheme.
"As a government, we have taken deliberate steps to recognise and reward excellence. We revised the cash award scheme to ensure our champions are acknowledged in a manner that reflects their sacrifice and hard work.
"The changes are significant: the package for individual Olympic gold medalists has risen from Ksh750,000 to Ksh3 million, silver from Ksh500,000 to Ksh2 million, and bronze from Ksh350,000 to Ksh1 million," he stated.
Ruto explained that the government had also factored in athletes competing in team disciplines.
"In team sports, the award per athlete has increased from Ksh100,000 to Ksh750,000 for gold, from Ksh75,000 to Ksh500,000 for silver, and from Ksh50,000 to Ksh375,000 for bronze.
"So far, the Ministry has scheduled payouts amounting to Ksh55 million for recent sporting events, alongside an additional Ksh15 million for record-breaking performances," he added.
The President further revealed that the new framework allows flexibility in rewarding athletes striving to qualify for major competitions.
"At the same time, the Cabinet Secretary in charge of Sports may, on the recommendation of the Awards and Recognition Committee, recommend payment of winning bonuses to teams and athletes engaged in qualifications for major championships, as an impetus for attaining qualification, bonuses of up to Ksh2.5 million," he further said.
