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Ruto pledges Sh10m for Gor Mahia’s continental campaign
President William Ruto shakes hands with Gor Mahia defender Michael Kibwage when the team presented him with the SportPesa League trophy at State House, Nairobi on June 7, 2026.
What you need to know:
- President William Ruto praised Gor Mahia players for inspiring millions of young Kenyans.
- The President urged the team to represent the country with pride, courage, and distinction.
Everyone spoke in superlatives as 2025/26 Football Kenya Federation Premier League champions Gor Mahia presented their trophy to President William Ruto at State House on Sunday.
The President lavished Gor with praises, saying the players “inspire millions of young Kenyans” and that their technical bench “provided leadership that produced results.”
The team management was praised for providing “stewardship that has strengthened one of Africa’s greatest football institutions.”
President William Ruto receives the SportPesa League trophy from Gor Mahia players and officials at State House, Nairobi on June 7, 2026.
The Head of State awarded the players and coaching staff Sh100,000 each. He also pledged a personal donation of Sh10 million to the club for their CAF Champions League campaign.
“Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya will also see how his ministry will support the club,” President Ruto said.
Gor Mahia fans – represented at the event by Taya Dok’s choir and Jaro Soja – were hailed for their unwavering loyalty which continues to make Gor Mahia one of Africa’s most followed clubs.
President Ruto also recognised FKF and Gor Mahia’s sponsors and partners for “contributing towards a successful and competitive season”.
Gor Mahia’s main sponsors – gaming firm SportPesa – are also the title sponsors of the FKF Premier League.
Hailing Gor Mahia for winning the 1987 Mandela Cup – the only time a Kenyan club has won a continental title – as the “proudest moment in the history of Kenyan football”, the President urged Gor Mahia to represent the country with “pride, courage, and distinction” in the 2026/27 CAF Champions League.
“You carry the hopes of the nation,” the Head of State said.
Sports CS Mvurya, Kasarani MP and SportPesa CEO Ronald Karauri, Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier, and Gor Mahia captain Philemon Otieno – thanked the President for supporting the development of sports in Kenya.
President Ruto was quick to live up to the acclaim, stating that his government will build 28 stadiums all over the country in the next one year.
The President labelled the stadiums – which he said will be constructed in Bungoma, Garissa, Kakamega, Kisumu, Mandera, Momabsa, Ol Kalou, Wajir, and other towns – as commercial eco-systems.
“The stadiums will have training grounds, gyms, restaurants, shops, and ICT hubs which will ensure that they are busy every day,” President Ruto said.
The Head of State further said that his government remains committed to investing in grassroots talent development, improving sporting infrastructure, professionalizing sports management, and strengthening sports governance across all disciplines.
“Our goal is to ensure that Kenyan athletes and clubs have every opportunity to compete and excel at the highest level,” the President said.
The presence of the trophy – an ornate urn adorned with green ribbons to symbolise its ownership by the record Kenyan top-flight champions – also had President Ruto pushing literal boundaries as he hyped the significance of the occasion, during which, on behalf of the people and the Government of Kenya, he extended his warmest congratulations to the 22-time Kenyan champions.
“Today we celebrate more than a football trophy. We celebrate excellence, resilience, consistency, and the power of teamwork,” President Ruto said.
He further stated that Gor Mahia’s achievement cemented their place as the most successful club in the history of Kenya, and reaffirmed their status as a pillar of Kenyan football excellence.
“By extending your record as league champions, you have once again demonstrated the enduring strength, ambition, and winning culture that define K’Ogalo,” President Ruto said.
The President, who has occasionally joked about his unremarkable career as an amateur volleyball player while studying at the University of Nairobi, also recognised the club’s coach Charles Akonnor and midfielder Enock Morrison for the honours they earned during the SportPesa Awards gala held in Nairobi on Thursday.
Akonnor, a former Ghana international and Black Stars coach, was named Coach of the Season while Morrison won the Most Valuable Player and Best Midfielder awards.
The 2025/26 SportPesa League Coach of the Year Charles Akonnor of Gor Mahia displays his trophy during the SportPesa League awards gala in Nairobi on June 4, 2026.
“These honours are a testament to the quality, leadership, and professionalism that exist throughout the club,” The President said.
Dr Ruto also described Gor Mahia reclaiming their league title after Kenya Police dethroned them last season as “reminder to the nation on why the name Gor Mahia is synonymous with success.”
President Ruto, whose son George is a self-professed AFC Leopards fan, drew cheers and claps from the Gor Mahia delegation when he stated that the club’s 1-0 win over Ingwe during April’s Mashemeji derby was one of the decisive wins in their campaign that particularly impressed him.
In August last year, President Ruto cemented the intersection of sports and politics in Kenya by throwing his weight behind Harambee Stars as the country reached the quarter-finals while co-hosting the 2024 African Nations Championship with Tanzania and Uganda.
On Sunday, he saluted Gor Mahia for providing the most players (five) to Harambee Stars’ Chan squad. Bandari and Kenya Police also had five players in Benni McCarthy’s selection.
“Gor Mahia plays a vital role in the development of Kenyan football by nurturing talent and strengthening our national team. Your success is not only a victory for the club but also a victory for Kenya,” President Ruto said.
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