CHAN: Light moment as Ruto reveals being blamed for Harambee Stars loss
By Cynthia Lodite, August 28, 2025A light moment was witnessed at State House on Thursday, August 28, 2025, when President William Ruto admitted being blamed by his close friend for being the reason why Harambee Stars lost at the 2024 CHAN tournament.
Ruto revealed that his friend blamed him for being absent at a crucial stage of the Harambee Stars match.
“In fact, one friend of mine told me I was responsible for Harambee Stars’ loss because I was not there; I was absent from the field,” Ruto said.
Ruto made his remarks during a lunch meeting to honour Harambee Stars for an exceptional performance.
The meeting, which was held on Friday, August 28, 2025, brought together the Harambee Stars team, led by Coach Benni McCarthy, and officials from the Football Kenya Federation, led by the FKF President Hussein Mohamed.
In his speech, the Head of State candidly revealed that for a moment he felt his friend was right and maybe he should have been present during the last tournament.
“For a moment I thought he was right; maybe I should be there in person and encourage these friends of mine to do their best, but I promise next time I will always be there so we can do it together,” Ruto said.
Harambee Stars final bow
The national team bowed out of the 2024 CHAN after a tense quarterfinal match against Madagascar at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
The match ended 1-1 in regulation and extra time, forcing a dramatic penalty shootout, which the Malagasy team won 4-3.
Oamr’s message
Ruto’s remarks come just moments after the Harambee Stars captain, Aboud Omar, had issued an emotional apology to Kenyans after the national team’s exit from the CHAN 2024 tournament.
“At the end of the day, as Harambee Stars, we feel like we disappointed Kenyans because we thought and believed we were going to win the CHAN 2024 competition, but unfortunately, God had other plans,” he said.
“I just want to take this opportunity to say that we are sorry, and we are going to do better.”
The captain acknowledged the weight of national expectation and promised improvement.
The team’s early elimination sparked mixed reactions, with fans urging the players to regroup and come back stronger.