The Kenyan government has announced that European football giants Bayern Munich and Ajax Amsterdam will play a friendly match at the Talanta Stadium on January 5, 2027. The match is expected to cost Ksh1 billion, with Bayern set to earn €5 million (Ksh727 million) in appearance fees, while Ajax could earn around €2.5 million (Ksh363 million). The huge expenditure has raised concerns among Kenyans, given the struggles of the national football team, Harambee Stars, to receive their allowances.
Harambee Stars players have been facing delayed allowances, with the team boycotting training for nearly a week in October 2026 due to unpaid dues dating back to matches played in November 2025. The players were reportedly demanding around Ksh80,000 each for games against Senegal and Lesotho, translating to Ksh2.4 million for a 30-man delegation. The government eventually cleared the outstanding payments, but the incident raised questions about the country's priorities in football.
The Harambee Starlets, the women's national team, also staged a protest at the Football Kenya Federation headquarters in August 2026 over unpaid dues ahead of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations. The players insisted on receiving their dues in full before boarding the plane to Morocco for the tournament. Although they were eventually paid, the incident highlighted the challenges faced by Kenyan national teams in receiving their allowances.
President William Ruto announced the friendly match between Bayern and Ajax, stating that it would be funded through "corporate partnerships and a self-sustaining commercial model." However, critics argue that the government is getting its priorities wrong, spending huge sums on a friendly match while struggling to pay national team dues. The move has been seen as a bid to influence Kenyans to vote for him in the 2027 elections.
The friendly match between Bayern and Ajax has sparked a heated debate in Kenya, with some Kenyans expressing excitement about the opportunity to watch world-class football, while others criticize the huge expenditure. The government's decision to prioritize a friendly match over paying national team dues has been questioned, with many arguing that Kenyan teams should have been given priority.
The Kenyan government's expenditure on the friendly match has been seen as a slap in the face of Kenyan football, given the struggles of national teams to receive their allowances. The incident has raised concerns about the country's priorities in sports and the need for a more sustainable approach to funding national teams.
The debate surrounding the friendly match between Bayern and Ajax is expected to continue, with many Kenyans calling for greater transparency and accountability in the use of public funds. The government must address the concerns of Kenyans and find a solution to the challenges faced by national teams in receiving their allowances.
Key points
- The Kenyan government has spent Ksh1 billion on a friendly match between Bayern and Ajax, amid struggles to pay Harambee Stars players' allowances.
- Harambee Stars players have faced delayed allowances, with the team boycotting training in October 2026 due to unpaid dues.
- The friendly match has sparked a heated debate in Kenya, with critics arguing that the government is getting its priorities wrong.
