Even as the National Assembly allocated an additional Sh7.7 billion to the State Department for Sports in the reorganised 2025/26 budget, several proposals for more funding were not considered, threatening the implementation of key sports projects.
President William Ruto signed the Supplementary Appropriations Bill 2026 into law on April 8, 2026, increasing the 2025/26 budget by Sh393 billion to Sh4.695 trillion. Parliament approved the revised Supplementary Estimates 1 for the year ending June 30 on Thursday last week after adopting a report of its committee on Budget and Appropriations (BAC), chaired by Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi.
One of the biggest beneficiaries of the revised budget is the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK), which has been allocated Sh100 million for the expansion of testing across all disciplines.
Following the additional allocation of Sh7.7 billion to the State Department for Sports, the docket’s total allocation for the fiscal year 2025/26 now stands at Sh25.16 billion, up from the initial Sh17.46 billion. The department’s gross current estimates, which cover day-to-day operations like salaries, water and electricity bills and vehicle maintenance, have increased to Sh5.65 billion from Sh1.62 billion.
The allocation for gross capital estimates has increased to Sh19.51 billion from Sh15.83 billion. Gross capital estimates normally cater for long-term investments such as the construction of stadiums and training facilities.
When he appeared before the National Assembly’s Committee on Sports and Culture on March 19, 2026, to justify the proposal for additional funding to the State Department for Sports, Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi listed several key areas of concern.
Principal Secretary in the State Department for Sports, Elijah Mwangi, when he appeared before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Sports and Culture to consider Supplementary Budget Estimates I for the financial year ending June 30, 2026.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
These included settlement of the Sh3.9 billion in hosting rights fees for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals, which Kenya will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania, a Sh3.8 billion court award over the Talanta Sports City land dispute, an outstanding balance of Sh11.37 billion for Afcon-related projects, and a funding gap of Sh96 million at ADAK.
Beyond seeking an additional Sh4.82 billion in the supplementary budget to bridge the funding gaps, Mwangi said that the State Department for Sports was grappling with a budget deficit of Sh14.47 billion. The Sh11.37 billion Afcon project accounted for the largest share of the shortfall.
The PS explained that the Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund (SASDF) was unable to meet the cost of the projects due to other major financial commitments. “…the State Department continues to face critical funding gaps and therefore requires additional resources amounting to Sh14.47 billion to facilitate the full implementation of its mandate,” the PS said in his report tabled before the National Assembly’s Committee on Sports and Culture.
To address some of the urgent funding gaps within the Department for Sports, BAC not only allocated additional resources but also undertook internal reallocation. This included a reduction of Sh2.1 billion for the Kenya Academy of Sports under the SASDF, a cut of Sh29 million from recurrent expenditure for Sports Kenya, and reduction of Sh50 million earmarked for the digitalisation and automation of the sports registrar system.
The committee added Sh3.4 billion for development projects under SASDF and allocated Sh100 million to ADAK for the expansion of testing across all disciplines in the country.
Further, BAC increased SASDF’s Appropriations-in-Aid ceiling by Sh1.5 billion. According to the committee, Sh572 million will be spent on the rehabilitation of various stadia across the country, while Sh167 million has been allocated for hosting the Africa Junior Gold Championships. Additionally, Sh100 million has been allocated to hosting the Rugby Sevens Series, Sh171 million for the hosting of the Africa Rafting Championships, and Sh240 million for the Nairobi Marathon.
A further Sh250 million has been earmarked for the Kip Keino Classic. Sh3.8 billion, which had been allocated for the land compensation case linked to Talanta Sports City, has been redirected to financing of Kenya’s hosting rights for the 2027 Afcon.
The PS had explained that initially, a court awarded Sh15 billion to Telkom Kenya, a State-controlled corporation, as compensation for the row over the piece of land where Talanta Sport City is being constructed. However, following an out-of-court settlement, the compensation was revised to Sh 9.18 billion. The Sh 3.8 billion provided in the Supplementary Estimates No.1 forms part of the government’s obligation towards settlement of the agreed amount, Mwangi explained. ENDS
