NAIROBI, Kenya, November 7, 2025 – Kenya’s first ever female Olympian, Tecla Chemabwai has asked the government to expand its reward scheme to include retired athletes who won medals for the country.
Chemabwai says many retired athletes are languishing in poverty because they never reaped dividends from their performances for the country at international competitions.
“I’d like to see these athletes who competed and won medals when there was no money that time. They should also be rewarded by the government just like the athletes who are currently running and winning medals for the country. There are so many retired athletes who won medals for Kenya and would benefit a lot if they were given this reward,” she said.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya recently announced an improved reward scheme for athletes who medal at the Olympics, Paralympics and the Commonwealth Games.
Gold medalists at the Olympics/paralympics now receive Ksh 3 million while silver and bronze medalists pocket Ksh 2 million and Ksh 1 million respectively.
Meanwhile, Commonwealth Games gold medalists now stand to receive Ksh 2.5 million, compared to silver medalists (Ksh 1.5 million) and bronze (Ksh 1 million).
The 1978 Commonwealth Games silver medalist further recommended that retired athletes should be included in the running of Athletics Kenya (AK) by reserving a special seat for them on its executive committee.
“I am advocating that these athletes should have a section in AK, whether be it in the executive, because question is who is monitoring these retired athletes? Who is looking out for them? We need to check up on retired athletes because many of them are suffering in the countryside,” she said.
She bemoaned the lack of a pension scheme and medical insurance as a key headache that many retired athletes encounter after they hang their spikes.
“We need a pension scheme for retired athletes to ensure they do not suffer after they finish their careers. We also need to provide a medical insurance scheme for them. These can better their lives even as they retire to the countryside,” Chemabwai said.
The 71-year-old wrote her name in history books when she became the first Kenyan woman to compete at the Olympics, in Mexico City in 1968, where she failed to go past the heats of the women’s 400m.
Joining her in this historic milestone was Lydia Stephens-Oketch and Elizabeth Chesire.
Chemabwai made her second Olympics appearance at the next edition of the competition in Munich in 1972 where she made it to the quarterfinals of the women’s 400m.
Since her retirement, Chemabwai has been involved in a number of athletics activities in the Rift Valley region.
She was one of the stakeholders who poured out their hearts at the recent public participation forums on the review of Athletics Kenya (AK) constitution.
