On 22 September 2026, Kenyan players announced they were going to camp for the AFCON 2027 qualifier against Eritrea and refused to train. K24 reports that allowances for more than five matches have not been paid. So, any answer to Harambee Stars player salaries starts with an awkward fact: the national team doesn’t pay salaries at all.
| At a glance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best Paying Kenya (Approx Published) | Michael Olunga, about $1.95 million per year at Al-Duhail (Capology via Pulse Sports, Jan 2025) |
| Olunga’s current club | Al Arabi, Qatar, two-year contract signed in July 2025; not public |
| National team salary | There is no; players receive camp allowances and match bonuses |
| CHAN 2024 group stage draw | Ksh1m per player per game, Ksh2.5m for a win over Zambia |
| Typical FKF Premier League payout | Ksh20,000 – Ksh150,000 per month (The Kenya Times) |
| Head coach | Benny McCarthy; salary is not disclosed |
| The exchange rate used | Ksh 129.81 per US dollar (CBK, 15 October 2026) |
Why money talk keeps hitting camp
The boycott is over. Kenya drew 1-1 with Eritrea in Nyayo, then lost 1-0 in Conakry on October 1 when Serhou Guirassy scored for Guinea to leave McCarthy’s side a point behind in Group D after two games. The head coach named the reason. “You were promised benefits and it goes to three, four and five different camps,” he told reporters on September 23.
The Ministry of Sports responded a day later. He said allowances for games in Zambia, South Africa and Turkey, outstanding bench wages were paid. Subsequent visits were still being worked out by the federation.
No amount was published.
This is important. A club salary is a real salary. The diaspora specialist treats the allowance as pocket money. For a Gor Mahia or Tusker player, this could be a substantial chunk of the year’s income, so the protest was held within the squad.
Harambee Stars players salary: squad by club
On 16 September 2026, clubs from the McCarthy squad were checked against this year’s transfer reports. Only one player’s salary has been widely reported.
| Player | Club | League / country | Known salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Olunga | Al Arabi | Qatar Stars League | Not public (about $1.95 million at former club Al-Duhail, Capology estimates) |
| Manzur Okwaro | Reims stadium | France | Not public |
| Joseph Okumu | Reims stadium | France | Not public |
| Grandma Timothy | Charlton Athletic (on loan from Slavia Prague) | England, Championship | Not public |
| Ryan Ogham | RFC Liège (on loan from Wolfsberger AC) | Belgium, second tier | Not public |
| Stanley Wilson | AIK | Sweden | Not public |
| Rooney Onyango | Sogndal | Norway | Not public |
| Duke Abuya | Yang SC | Tanzania | Not public |
| Brian Bwire | Tusker FC | FKF Premier League | Not public |
| Byrne Omondi | Gor Mahia | FKF Premier League | Not public |
Olunga is the top earner by every measure. Pulse Sports, using Capology, pegged Al-Duhail’s salary at about $1.95 million a year, about Ksh253 million at CBK’s October 15 exchange rate. He joined Al Arabi on a two-year contract in July 2025. Nothing has been revealed about that deal, so as we explained in our breakdown of Michael Olunga’s salary and net worth, take Al-Duhail’s number as a reference point rather than his current salary.
Below that?
Just the context. Ouma Championship loan, Reims pair and Ogam in Belgium all sit in leagues well above the East African levels. None of these deals are public and we won’t speculate.
Bonuses: Where the State House cash comes in
August 2025 gave Kenyan fans the actual numbers. During the CHAN 2024 finals co-hosted by Kenya, President William Ruto promised Ksh 1 million per player for each group game, then Ksh 2.5 million each for beating Zambia and another million plus cheap housing for winning the quarter-finals, Kenyans.co.ke. “The Harambi Stars are proof of what unity can achieve,” Ruto said on August 11.
Kenya beat Zambia. Payday. The Standard reported that each player is Sh3 million richer after the addition of a Sh500,000 pledge from Raila Odinga. Madagascar then won the quarter-final 4-3 on penalties in Kasarani on August 22 and the housing bonus never came into play.
FKF president Hussain Mohammed later revealed that there was a total of Sh232 million in allowances and bonuses. CAF added Sh58.2 million for the quarter-finals.
A coach’s salary is more obscure. In March 2025, after reports claimed McCarthy was earning Ksh 8 million per month, FKF head of communications Jeff Kinyanjui called the figure inaccurate and said the government was paying the coach within the guidelines of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission. The real number? Still a mystery.
Home based reality
According to a 2024 report by The Kenya Times, regular FKF Premier League salaries range from Ksh20,000 to Ksh150,000 per month, about $154 to $1,156 at today’s exchange rate. The best goes up to Ksh400,000. Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula said his entire monthly wage bill has exceeded K3.5 million.
Do the sum. This is cruel. According to Capology calculations, Olunga’s weekly salary at Al-Duhail was bigger than the entire Homeboyz team’s monthly salary.
There is no published league minimum wage and the Footballers’ Welfare Association of Kenya wants one, plus a collective bargaining agreement covering unpaid wages, and said it sent several drafts to the federation in November 2025 without a response.
Our vision
It’s normal in Africa for exiles to earn more than home-based players, a breakdown we also track in our Black Queens players salary guide. What’s not normal is a holiday four days before home selection due to state-controlled money. Kenya is already co-hosting AFCON 2027, with the next November window and paying on time is the cheapest preparation. Olunga can still live with the late cheque, adding to his place on the Harambee Stars’ all-time goalscoring list. Gore next to him can’t be a Mahia keeper.
This article was last revised and updated 40 seconds ago