Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy/HANDOUT
Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has revealed that he and his foreign technical staff have been working without formal Kenyan work permits for more than a year.
He said the situation forces them to leave the country immediately after national team camps and matches.
McCarthy said the immigration challenges had made it difficult for him and his technical team to remain in Kenya between assignments, explaining why they do not stay in the country after completing their duties with the national team.
The South African coach’s disclosure comes amid growing concerns over the welfare of Harambee Stars players and preparations for the team’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
Foreign nationals employed in Kenya, including coaches and technical staff, generally require a Class D work permit sponsored by the relevant sports federation, club or organisation.
The permit is intended for individuals with specialised skills or qualifications required by the employer.
Foreign workers may also use short-term entry or work authorisations while longer-term applications are being processed, depending on the applicable immigration requirements.
McCarthy’s revelation comes as Harambee Stars face a fresh crisis over unpaid player allowances, with some players reportedly having gone through four or five national team camps without receiving promised payments.
The coach expressed concern over the impact of the outstanding payments on the players’ commitment and morale.
“For four to five camps, not receiving any cent of what was promised, of course as a human being you will be like, is it worth it? Is it okay for the national team?” McCarthy said.
The concerns reportedly contributed to a player boycott after Harambee Stars members and technical staff declined to train upon reporting to camp in Nairobi.
The players cited unpaid allowances, accommodation problems and other outstanding welfare issues.
Football Kenya Federation Head of Projects and National Teams Athanus Obango said the players were demanding Sh80,000 each in allowances relating to previous matches against Senegal and Lesotho.
Kenya played Lesotho in two friendly matches in June, drawing 1-1 before suffering a 4-1 defeat. The team also lost 8-0 to Senegal in a friendly played in Antalya, Turkey, in November 2025.
Last week, McCarthy named a 24-man squad largely comprising foreign-based players for the upcoming assignment against Eritrea.
Eritrea arrived in Kenya on Tuesday and has been training at Police Sacco Stadium ahead of the encounter.
Kenya will face Eritrea in a 2027 AFCON qualifier before travelling to Conakry to play Guinea on October 1. South Africa is the other team in their qualifying group.
