Both Kenya and Tanzania kicked off their CHAN (African Nations Championship) campaigns with victories, but it is the Kenyan players who stand to pocket significantly more in performance bonuses, thanks to a more lucrative reward scheme from President William Ruto.
Tanzania’s Taifa Stars delighted fans with a 2-0 win over Burkina Faso at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.
Their efforts did not go unnoticed: President Samia Suluhu awarded the team TSh20 million (approximately Sh1,035,000) for the win.
Additional incentives came pouring in from other government officials, including Sports Minister Prof. Palamagamba Kabudi and another unnamed official, both offering TSh20 million each, bringing the total reward for the win to TSh60 million (roughly Sh3.1 million).
President Samia has also promised the team a mega bonus of TSh1 billion (Sh51.7 million) if they go on to win the CHAN tournament.
Still, those figures pale in comparison to the package unveiled by Kenyan President William Ruto.
Under his performance-based reward plan, each Harambee Stars player will receive Sh1 million for every win and Sh500,000 for a draw.
Should the team reach the final, they will collectively earn a staggering Sh600 million.
And the jackpot? The eventual tournament winners will pocket Sh452.2 million ($3.5 million) in prize money.
While both teams are celebrating strong starts, it is clear that the financial stakes are higher for the Kenyan squad giving them more than just sporting glory to play for as the CHAN tournament heats up.