Kenyan skater Kevin Kiarie has alleged that the government failed to fully honour a financial commitment made to support his international skating engagements.
Speaking about the issue, Kiarie claimed he only received KSh 870,000 despite being promised a total of KSh 2.78 million to cater for his sporting activities and reimbursements linked to previous trips.
The skater said part of the discussions involved officials from the Ministry of Sports, including a commitment regarding his travel to Egypt.
“In our discussions, the PS and the people that we were with, they broke it to me that the money for my Egypt trip had been approved and that KSh 1.24 million was ready for my trip to Egypt,” he said.
Kiarie explained that he initially believed the process would move smoothly after the meeting.
According to him, the Principal Secretary also promised that he would be refunded the money he had personally spent during an earlier trip.
“That was the information I got after I came back to Kenya, and I didn’t mind a lot. On that day, the PS made a commitment to me that I would get the money that I spent for my previous trip,” he added.
Struggles Following Up
However, the athlete claims things became difficult afterwards.
Kiarie said he was left alone in the office after the meeting and was later advised by another individual to keep following up on the matter personally.
“I was then left in the office all alone, and I ended up going home, but there was a guy who told me to follow up. I thought it was going to be an easy process after trying to follow up for a couple of days,” he stated.
The remarks have sparked fresh conversations online about the challenges faced by athletes in less-funded sports disciplines in Kenya, particularly extreme sports such as skating.
Kevin Kiarie // Instagram
Funding Challenges In Alternative Sports
Unlike mainstream sports, including football and athletics, skating in Kenya receives limited sponsorship and institutional support despite growing popularity among young people in urban areas.
Many athletes in alternative sports often rely on personal savings, fundraising drives and online support to travel for competitions and training camps abroad.
Kiarie has been among the visible faces pushing for greater recognition of skating locally and internationally. His participation in overseas competitions has helped shine a spotlight on the sport’s growing community in Kenya.
Calls For Better Athlete Support
The latest claims are likely to renew debate around transparency and accountability in sports funding.
In recent years, Kenyan athletes across different disciplines have repeatedly raised concerns over delayed allowances, unfulfilled pledges and inadequate support despite representing the country internationally.
As of now, government officials have not publicly responded to Kiarie’s allegations regarding the unpaid balance.
