Musonye roots for East African CHAN 2024 final, hails Ruto’s multimillion pledge to Stars
By Kiprono Keileb, August 18, 2025The Local Organising Committee chair for CHAN 2024, Nicholas Musonye, has set the stage for what he hopes will be an all–East African final in the continental tournament.
Speaking on a talk show aired by a local television station on Monday, August 25, 2025, Musonye rallied neighbouring countries Uganda and Tanzania to prepare their teams adequately, stressing that regional representation in the finals would make the tournament more exciting and historic for East Africa.
“I am telling my counterparts in Uganda and Tanzania to prepare their teams well. We want CHAN 2024 finals to be an East African affair. We don’t want to play finals with foreigners, it will not be exciting, we want to see Kenya playing either Tanzania or Uganda. We must have our team in the finals. I have told Uganda and Tanzania to organise their teams well,” Musonye said.
His remarks reflect both ambition and confidence in Harambee Stars’ ability to rise to the challenge. Musonye said Kenya’s preparations for the tournament are not only focused on hosting but also on ensuring the national team is strong enough to compete effectively and advance deep into the competition.
He said fans deserve to see an East African rivalry played out at the highest stage, noting that the excitement around football in the region continues to grow.
Musonye credits Ruto for player motivation
In his address, Musonye also took time to appreciate President William Ruto for his role in ensuring both the tournament’s success and the players’ motivation. He revealed that Kenya’s hosting journey faced challenges earlier in the year, but the President personally intervened to ensure the event proceeded as planned.
“I told the president in February that we won’t host the tournaments because the stadiums were still construction sites. He said the tournament must take place, and we had to manoeuvre with him. The President has been very instrumental,” Musonye said.
The LOC chair went on to disclose how Ruto stepped in to inspire Harambee Stars with life-changing rewards. According to Musonye, the President responded positively after players asked for improved winning bonuses.
“Besides that, plan to organise a decent tournament, we told him that the players ned motivational and he said he knows what to do, the players had asked for half a million per win and he said he will give Ksh1 million per win, he later increased it to Ksh 2.5 million and a two-bedroom house. We thank the president for the motivation,” Musonye stated.
The promise of Ksh2.5 million per win and a two-bedroom house has set a new benchmark for player rewards in Kenya, and Musonye believes this move will inject both morale and determination into the national squad.
Building regional pride
With the tournament drawing closer, Musonye maintained that Kenya’s hosting is about more than infrastructure—it is about igniting East African pride. His call to Uganda and Tanzania underscores a vision where the region claims its rightful place in African football by competing against each other on the grand stage.
For Musonye, CHAN 2024 is an opportunity not only to showcase Kenya’s ability to organise a continental competition but also to rewrite the story of East African football. His firm appeal to CAF and the President’s heavy investment in the players point to a moment where football could unite the region and elevate its standing in the game.
At the heart of his remarks was one simple message: Kenya is ready, East Africa must rise, and the dream of an all–East African CHAN final remains alive.