Kenya National Team Cries Foul Over Unpaid Allowances
Kenya’s women’s volleyball team, the Malkia Strikers, will face Germany on Saturday, August 23, at the ongoing World Volleyball Championships in Thailand. But as they prepare for the big match, the players say they are deeply worried about the well-being of their families back home.
The team revealed that although they were promised allowances to cater for travel and family support, the money has not been released.
In a video shared online, the Strikers said that while they focus on their opening game, the reality of unpaid allowances has left them anxious about their loved ones in Kenya.
According to the players, the challenges started even before leaving Nairobi. During training, they were briefly locked out of camp because they couldn’t raise enough funds.
After several broken promises, the squad was cut down from 20 players to 16. It was only after sponsors stepped in that training was able to continue.
“The information we were getting from the team’s deputy president was that there was no money to get us to camp. Eventually, sponsors intervened, and we got into the camp,” the Strikers revealed.
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The players explained that the Ministry of Sports had promised to release their allowances before departure. A meeting with Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya gave them hope, but their attempt to share grievances with him was blocked by their coach.
“The promise was that before we travel, we were supposed to get all our allowances paid into our accounts; however, it never happened. We are told they are waiting for the Ministry, CS Mvurya met us, but we were stopped from telling him his grievances,’’ the teammates continued.
The team is now appealing to relevant authorities to step in and ensure they are paid.
“It’s hard to give your best on the court when your mind is back home, worrying about whether your children have food or if your landlord will lock the door,” the players lamented.
The Malkia Strikers, known for their resilience and dominance in African volleyball, have lifted Kenya’s flag high with several championship wins and World Cup appearances. However, their current struggles highlight growing concerns of neglect in Kenyan sports.
Their plea comes at a time when President William Ruto has shown interest in sports development, recently pledging millions in rewards to the Harambee Stars for their performance at the African Nations Championship.
Kenya National Team Cries Foul Over Unpaid Allowances
