Harambee Starlets: Relief as Truce is Reached After Protest Over Delayed Allowances

Harambee Starlets have finally received their allowances, ending a standoff that threatened to delay their trip to France for their pre-WAFCON 2026 camp.

The players had staged a protest at the Football Kenya Federation headquarters in Nairobi on Wednesday, demanding full payment of their allowances before they boarded the plane to Miramas.

Starlets are scheduled to fly out on Wednesday to Miramas to start their camp ahead of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFON 2026) but the trip had been thrown into disarray when players protested in the morning as they said they would only leave once they have been sorted.

That left FKF in a spot of bother, a day after the government, through President William Ruto, had stated that the outstanding allowances had been paid in full on Tuesday. Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi would convene a quick meeting with the players alongside FKF president Hussein Mohammed to solve the impasse, leading to a truce.

“We are now ready [to travel]. As you have seen, our bosses have come and solved all those issues and everything is now okay,” Starlets captain Mwanalima ‘Dogo’ Adam told the media after the meeting.

“They have done their part, now let us go and do our job. The government has delivered its promise and the President has also done his part. So, it is up to us to go there and work hard.”

Adam then rallied Kenyans behind the team, promising to ensure they deliver during the continental tournament set to take place in Morocco between July 26 and August 16.

“I ask Kenyans to wish us all the best and pray for us because without them, we cannot do it. As the President said, he has delivered today so it is up to us to go and fight for the country,” she added.

Team Kenya are in a tough group that also has hosts Morocco, Senegal and Algeria and will need to be at their best to make it to the knockout round, while a World Cup ticket is at stake for the four sides that will make it to the semi-final.

Starlets will kick off their WAFCON campaign against Morocco on July 26, the tournament’s opening match, before taking on Senegal four days later and then Algeria on August 3.