Julius Yego seeks answers over Commonwealth Games athletes' allowance deductions

Team Kenya captain Julius Yego has called for transparency in the payment of athletes' international allowances after revealing that competitors heading to the 2026 Commonwealth Games received Ksh50,000 less than they had been promised.

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The 2026 Commonwealth Games are slated for Thursday, 23 July, to Sunday, 2 August, in Glasgow, Scotland.

The veteran javelin thrower, who will be making his final Commonwealth Games appearance, said the discrepancy left athletes frustrated, insisting there should be a clear and consistent policy on allowances for national team representatives.

"Athletes were not happy because last week, we had a meeting with the management of the team and the NOCK board, and they told us that the rates for international, because the issue is always the international allowances, and they told us that we would be paid Ksh250,000. But what was paid is Ksh200,000, so each one of us was deducted Ksh50,000 from the promise that was made," Yego said.

He added that the incident highlighted the need for certainty whenever athletes represent the country.

"That is why I am saying we do not know the exact rates for international allowances. If changes are needed, we should establish a clear policy that specifies the amount to be paid, or set a baseline that defines the amount an athlete who represents Kenya should be paid.

Let us say, if an allowance is supposed to be Ksh1 million, let it be one million,” he said.

How much Team Kenya athletes will earn for medals at 2026 Commonwealth Games

Yego's remarks came as Team Kenya was officially flagged off for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Despite the concerns over allowances, the government unveiled a significantly improved medal reward scheme for athletes competing in Glasgow.

Principal Secretary for Sports Elijah Mwangi announced that gold medalists will receive Ksh2.5 million, a fivefold increase from the Ksh500,000 awarded at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Silver medalists will earn Ksh1.5 million, up from Ksh300,000, while bronze medalists will pocket Ksh1 million under the revised incentive package.

A total of 94 Kenyan athletes across 12 sporting disciplines will represent the country in Glasgow, with athletics contributing the largest contingent of 52 competitors.

Yego will captain the team as he looks to conclude an illustrious Commonwealth Games career on a high.

Fondly known as the "YouTube Man" for teaching himself the javelin through online videos, Yego has enjoyed a remarkable Commonwealth journey spanning more than a decade.

He made his Games debut in New Delhi in 2010, finishing seventh with a best throw of 69.60m before producing a career-defining performance in Glasgow four years later, winning Kenya's only Commonwealth javelin gold medal with a throw of 83.87m.

Kenyan javelin star targets strong finish in final Commonwealth Games appearance

His title defense at the 2018 Gold Coast Games ended in disappointment after he failed to progress beyond the qualification rounds, but the former world champion bounced back at the Birmingham 2022 Games, claiming bronze with a throw of 85.70m behind Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem and Grenada's Anderson Peters.