Kenya’s medal winners at the 2026 Commonwealth Games are in line for million-shilling rewards following a string of podium finishes in Glasgow, Scotland.
There is no official prize money for athletes who compete in or win medals at the Commonwealth Games.
This is standard practice for most multi-sport events. Even the Olympic Games only recently introduced prize money in some sports, with the rewards provided by the respective international sports federations rather than the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Instead, many countries choose to reward their athletes for winning medals while also meeting the costs of training and participation.
The Commonwealth Games follow a similar model, with individual countries deciding whether to offer cash rewards to their medalists.
The Ministry of Sports had announced an enhanced reward package for Team Kenya before the Games, with each gold medalist set to receive KSh2.5 million, silver medalists KSh1.5 million, and bronze medalists KSh1 million.
Kenya’s Medal-Winning Performances in Glasgow
The payouts come as Kenya continues to impress on the track, with athletes delivering the country’s first two gold medals and several silver and bronze finishes.
Kenya claimed its first gold medal after Edmund Serem led a historic clean sweep in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase.
The reigning World Under-20 steeplechase champion crossed the finish line in 8:18.23, ahead of compatriots Simon Koech, who won silver in 8:18.59, and Leonard Bett, who completed the all-Kenyan podium with bronze in 8:21.63.
The victory marked Kenya’s first gold medal of the Games and extended the country’s unbeaten run in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase at the Commonwealth Games since 1986.
Kenya’s second gold medal came courtesy of Faith Cherotich, who won the women’s 3,000m steeplechase in a Games Record of 9:01.76.
Britain’s Elise Thorner claimed silver in a personal best 9:05.45, while Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai settled for bronze in 9:09.96.
Kenya also collected three silver medals through Diana Wanza, Stephen Ndangiri Kihu and Lilian Odira.
Wanza opened Kenya’s medal account on the track by finishing second in the women’s 10,000m.
Kihu secured silver in the men’s 10,000m race walk after clocking 38:46.57, finishing behind Australia’s Isaac Beacroft, who won gold in 38:45.51. Canada’s Evan Dunfee took bronze in 40:03.39.
Odira added another silver after finishing second in the women’s 800m final in 2:00.58.
After the race, Odira admitted she had hoped to defend her title on home soil.
“My aim was to finish on the podium. Personally, I wanted to win that gold because the championships were at home, and I wanted to retain my title,” she said.
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Millions Kenya Commonwealth Games Medalists Will Earn After Gold, Silver and Bronze Wins
Under the government’s revised Commonwealth Games reward scheme, each Kenyan athlete who wins a gold medal will receive KSh2.5 million.
Silver medalists will earn KSh1.5 million while bronze medalists will pocket KSh1 million.
The enhanced incentives are an increase from the rewards paid during the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, when gold medalists received KSh500,000, silver medalists KSh300,000, and bronze medalists KSh200,000.
The revised package was announced ahead of the Games by Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi, who said the payments had been approved by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
“Any gold medal will receive KSh2.5 million, a figure that the SRC has already approved. This is government money, and we work with government agencies that have approved this amount,” Mwangi said.
He added that silver medalists would receive KSh1.5 million, up from KSh300,000 at the previous Games.
The Commonwealth Games rewards form part of a broader government plan to increase incentives for Kenyan athletes competing internationally.
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Ruto Raises Cash Rewards for Kenyan Athletes
President William Ruto in September last year increased cash rewards for Kenyan athletes who win medals at global competitions.
Under the revised package, athletics gold medalists receive KSh3 million, up from KSh750,000.
Silver medalists earn KSh2 million, up from KSh500,000, while bronze medalists receive KSh1 million, an increase from KSh350,000.
The President also announced higher daily allowances for athletes representing Kenya abroad, increasing them from $60 (about KSh7,800) to $200 (about KSh26,000), while officials’ allowances were raised from $80 to $300.
“We have also enhanced rewards for winners in the Commonwealth Games. The new package raises cash awards for gold medal winners from KSh500,000 to KSh2.5 million, KSh300,000 to KSh1.5 million for silver, and KSh200,000 to KSh1 million for bronze,” President Ruto said.
He added: “The Ministry of Sports is going to review other packages to make sure that we encourage the sporting spirit in Kenya.”
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