Ruto hosts Harambee Stars at State House after CHAN campaign
By Cynthia Lodite, August 28, 2025President William Ruto has hosted the Kenya National Football team, Harambee Stars, for lunch at State House, Nairobi, just days after Kenya bowed out of the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 competition.
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 attendance is also Cabinet Secretary for Sports Salim Mvurya.
Notably, the lunch meet-up follows a close relationship built between the national football team, Harambee Stars, and President William Ruto during the highly contested matches between Kenya and various countries at the 2024 CHAN championship.
Ruto leads prayers
A while back, President William Ruto joined Harambee Stars players in their dressing room and prayed for them after their hard-fought 1–0 victory over Zambia in the ongoing CHAN 2024 tournament on Sunday, August 17, 2025.
In his prayer, Ruto thanked God for the national team’s performance since the beginning of the tournament.
“Our heavenly Father, we want to thank you for this team; thank you for this team, Team Harambee Stars. We want to commit these good citizens of our country, these players, to your hands as they play; protect them heavily, Father, and give them success in all the remaining games,” Ruto prayed.
“We pray for our nation. Thank you to the fans who have come through for them. Thank you to all who have come to support them. Thank you for their families; we want to pray that you will make them successful even in this game, that they will inspire other young people to be good players and lift these young men so that they can lift our nation.”
The head of state also asked God to grant the team victory in the coming matches.
“We pray over the games ahead that when we get to the finals, you will give us victory,” Ruto prayed.
Kenya CHAN campaign
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.