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Sports gets Sh16.69bn in Mbadi’s budget but no specifics on 2027 Afcon preparations

Harambee Stars midfielder Adam Wilson (right) tussles for the ball with Chad's Haroun Abakar (left) during their international friendly match played at Marrakech Stadium in Morocco on June 7, 2025. 
 

Photo credit: Pool | FKF

By  Victor Otieno

Reporter

NMG Sport

What you need to know:

  • The Ministry of Sports and National Assembly’s Committee on Sports and Culture had raised concerns that the co-hosting rights fees was omitted in the budget estimates. 
  • Kenya will jointly host the African finals with Uganda and Tanzania in the early parts of 2027.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has proposed an allocation of Sh16.69 billion to the Department for Sports in the 2025/26 financial year budget estimates.

The amount forms part of the Sh29.7 billion proposed to support tourism growth, sports, culture, recreation and the arts in the financial year starting July 1.

Mbadi revealed this in the 2025/2026 budget presented to the National Assembly on Thursday.

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According to the CS, of the Sh16.69 billion allocated to the Department for Sports, Sh13.5 billion will go to Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund while Sh2.3 billion has been set aside for the establishment of an automation and digitization system for the office of the Sports Registrar.

The Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) has been allocated Sh241 million, Sports Kenya will receive Sh402 million while the Kenya Academy of Sports has been allocated Sh245 million.

Compared to the proposed allocation in the ending financial year, the Sports Fund has seen a decrease by Sh3 billion. 

Former Treasury CS Njuguna Ndungu had proposed a budget of Sh16.5 billion to the Sports Fund in the 2024/25 financial year. 

However, Mbadi’s proposed allocation to the Department for Sports is Sh773,760,837 less than what the Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC) had on June 4 recommended for the docket in its presentation to the House.

BAC, which is chaired by Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi, had proposed Sh17.46 to the State Department for Sports – down from the Sh18.59 initially proposed by the National Treasury.

The allocation of Sh241 million to Adak is a welcome development, especially considering that the agency received a mere Sh20 million in the ending financial year.

Following an uproar from Adak and other sports stakeholders, the Ministry of Sports increased the funding.

Mbadi did not mention the Sh3.9 billion co-hosting right fees for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations that is due for payment in April next year. 

The Ministry of Sports and National Assembly’s Committee on Sports and Culture had raised concerns that the co-hosting rights fees was omitted in the budget estimates. 

Kenya will jointly host the African finals with Uganda and Tanzania in the early parts of 2027.