The government has proposed a significant increase in funding for sports in the 2026/27 Financial Year, with Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi allocating Sh25.2 billion to the Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund, marking one of the biggest investments in Kenya's sports sector in recent years.
Presenting the 2026/27 Budget Statement, Mbadi underscored the importance of sports as a driver of national development, youth empowerment and economic growth.
"Sports and arts are vital for national identity, youth empowerment and economic diversification. We will therefore promote sports at all levels, enforce international anti-doping standards and commercialise indigenous knowledge to create livelihood opportunities," Mbadi said.
The allocation forms part of a broader Sh45.6 billion package for Sports, Culture, Recreation and Tourism, which also includes Sh14.3 billion for the Tourism Fund.
"To harness national talent and promote Kenya as a regional cultural hub, I propose KSh45.6 billion for Sports, Culture, Recreation and Tourism, including Sh25.2 billion for the Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund and Sh14.3 billion for the Tourism Fund. These allocations will stimulate jobs, community development and foreign exchange earnings," the Treasury CS stated.
The proposed funding represents a dramatic recovery from the previous financial year. In the 2025/26 budget, the Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund received Sh13.5 billion, down from a record Sh16.5 billion in 2024/25. The latest proposal, therefore, amounts to an increase of Sh11.7 billion, nearly doubling the allocation made a year ago.
The reduction in the previous budget had triggered concern among stakeholders across the sporting fraternity, particularly with Kenya preparing to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Uganda and Tanzania. Administrators, athletes and sports federations had warned that reduced funding could affect infrastructure development, grassroots programmes and national team preparations.
The latest budget proposal is expected to ease those concerns by providing additional resources for stadium construction and renovation projects, athlete development programmes and preparations for major international competitions.
Sports remain a critical pillar of Kenya's economic and social agenda, with the government increasingly viewing the sector as a source of employment, tourism growth and international visibility. The renewed investment is also expected to boost support for sports federations, talent identification programmes and the country's anti-doping efforts as Kenya seeks to maintain its reputation as a global athletics powerhouse.
In the previous financial year, sports-related allocations included funding for the digitisation of the Office of the Sports Registrar, support for the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya, Sports Kenya and the Kenya Academy of Sports. The larger Sports Fund allocation proposed for 2026/27 is expected to strengthen these initiatives while accelerating preparations for AFCON 2027 and other international events.
If approved by Parliament, the Sh25.2 billion allocation will become the largest single allocation to the Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund in Kenya's history, reinforcing the government's commitment to sports as a catalyst for economic transformation, youth empowerment and national pride.
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