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Sifuna slams govt over viral video of Malkia Strikers lamenting about unpaid allowances
22nd August, 2025 01:06 PM
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has criticised the government over the public uproar surrounding Kenya’s National Women’s Volleyball Team, the Malkia Strikers, accusing authorities of withholding their allowances.
Sifuna made his remarks on Friday, August 22, 2025, on his official X account following a video circulating online of the Malkia Strikers voicing their plea to Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya.
“Nimenyamaza tu for now vijana wa #HarambeeStars wakafunge msiseme nawaharibia. But hapa mbele lazima tutaambiana ukweli,” Sifuna wrote.
The Nairobi Senator further called out Sports CS Salim Mvurya for peddling lies about securing up to Ksh70 million to pay all outstanding allowances for all national teams.
He accused the CS of lying before the Senate about settling an outstanding Ksh2 million to the Lionesse while calling off the CS running the Ministry of Public Relations all through.
“CS for sports was in the Senate over a month ago, lying that he had secured 70m to pay all outstanding allowances for all national teams, including 2m for you Lionesses. Hajalipa hadi leo after kupiga picha nao na dummy check over 3 months ago. Nchi inatawaliwa na PR 24/7,” Sifuna wrote.
Malkia strikers plea
His reaction came just moments after a video went viral where the Strikers said that while they are prepared for their opening match, they were also grappling with the harsh reality of unpaid allowances, leaving them anxious about those they left behind.
Worth noting, Kenya’s National Women’s Volleyball Team, the Malkia Strikers, are set to face Germany on Saturday, August 23, in the ongoing World Championships in Thailand. However, the players say they are worried about the welfare of their families back home in Kenya.
In the video seen by the K24 Digital news desk, the team revealed that, despite being promised allowances to cover their travel needs and support their families during the tournament, the money has yet to be disbursed.
“The promise was that before we travel, we were supposed to get all our allowances paid into our accounts; however, it never happened. We are told they are waiting for the Ministry; CS Mvurya met us, but we were stopped from telling him his grievances,’’ the teammates revealed.
According to the Malkia strikers, their struggles began even before departure. While training in Kenya, they alleged they were briefly locked out of camp because they could not raise money.
“The information we were getting from the team’s deputy president was that there was no money to get us to camp. Eventually, sponsors intervened, and we got into the camp,” the Strikers revealed.
