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Olunga? Wanyama? Maina? Olunga? Who is the highest earning Kenyan footballer of 2023?
In a world where football has become a very huge commercial asset, players and coaches have also become increasingly wealthy. They are now earning monstrous wages which always leave fans speculating as to whether they represent value for money.
It is no longer a surprise to see that world superstars like Karim Benzema earning £3.58 million a week, having signed for Al Ittihad from Real Madrid recently. It begs the question, do Kenyan footballers earn monstrous wages as well?
Do Kenyan footballers who go pro earn well when they move abroad? And which Kenyan players are the highest earners? Pulse Sports Kenya profiles the top 10 highest paid Kenyan footballers of 2023
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11:22 - 15.06.2023
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Highest paid Kenyan footballers of 2023
10 .Handwalla Bwana-£1k- 176k Shillings
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Handwalla Bwana is 10th on the list of Kenya’s highest paid football players. Bwana was born a Somali refugee in Mombasa, Kenya and spent the first six years of his childhood at a refugee camp in Kakuma in northwestern Kenya. His family resettled in the United States in 2010, initially in Atlanta, but later in Seattle, where he attended Ballard High School.
Bwana played for Seattle Sounders between 2015 and 2020, before moving to Nashville where he spent two years before joining USL side Charleston Battery in 2023. Bwana earns an estimated weekly wage of 1000 pounds a week, which is approximately equivalent to 176,000 Kenyan shillings a week.
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12:16 - 15.06.2023
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The former AFC Leopards academy product was awarded Man of the Match after a solid display against Pakistan.
10. Philip Mayaka-£1k a week-176k Shillings
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Another US based Kenyan player, Philip Mayaka is also joint tenth in the list of highest paid Kenyan players of 2023.
Mayaka was scouted playing football in Nairobi in 2018 by the general manager of the Montverde Academy in Florida. Mayaka had options to play in Norway, but opted to make the move to the United States. Whilst in Florida, Mayaka ended up playing with the Orlando City academy in the USSDA for a year, making 16 appearances and scoring 9 goals.
Whilst in Florida, Mayaka ended up playing with the Orlando City academy in the USSDA for a year, making 16 appearances and scoring nine goals and in 2019, he attended Clemson University to play college soccer.
In his two seasons with the Tigers, Mayaka made 32 appearances, scoring two goals and tallying eight assists.
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08:17 - 15.06.2023
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In his freshman season, Mayaka was named ACC Freshman of the Year, All-ACC First Team, All-America Second Team, and a semi-finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy. His sophomore season saw Mayaka earn First-team All-ACC and ACC All-Tournament team accolades.
On March 29, 2021, Mayaka joined Colorado's USL Championship affiliate side Colorado Springs Switchbacks on loan and he made his professional debut on May 14, appearing as a 73rd-minute substitute during a 4-0 win over Sporting Kansas City II.
In 2023, he signed with Charlotte FC's MLS Next Pro side Crown Legacy in January 2023. Mayaka currently earns approximately upwards of 1000 pounds a week, meaning he earns 176,000 kenyan shillings a week.
10.Henry Meja-£1k a week-176k Shillings
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The 21 year old Kakamega High School alumnus is among one of Kenya’s top earning football players of 2023.
Meja was previously at FKF PL champions Tusker, scoring 11 goals as Tusker strolled to the 2020/21 title.
He has however been used sparingly at AIK, limited to a handful of appearances during his maiden season at the club.
AIK is home to two other Kenyan internationals, Eric Ouma and Collins Sichenje who are regulars in the team's starting XI.
He is currently on loan at Norrby IF and earns upwards of 1000 pounds a week, which again, is equivalent to 176, 000 Kenyan Shillings a week.
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20:00 - 14.06.2023
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10. Abdi Salim -£1k-176k Shillings
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Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Salim grew up in Dagahaley refugee camp in Dadaab. Having applied for asylum in the United States before Salim was born, his parents were granted a visa in 2003 and relocated once Salim had recovered from malaria.
They settled in Buffalo, New York. Salim attended Hutchinson Central Technical High School and played his first-ever organized soccer game with youth club Delaware SC in 2013. In 2018, he was recruited for Rochester-based Empire United where he captained the US Developmental Academy under-17 and under-19 teams during a two-year spell.
In May 2022, during the college offseason, Salim joined USL League Two side Ocean City Nor'easters. He made seven appearances as Ocean City went undefeated and topped the Mid Atlantic Division.
On 21 December 2022, Salim was selected in the first round (17th overall) of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft by Orlando City.After training with the club in preseason, he was signed to a one-year contract with three additional club option years on 14 February 2023. He earns a reported 1000 pounds a week, which makes him essentially earn an estimated 176,000 shillings a week.
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05:00 - 09.05.2023
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7. Daniel Anyembe- £2k pounds-352k Shillings
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Viborg FF’s Daniel Anyembe recently declared for Kenya, having represented Denmark at the u21 stage between 2019 and 2022.
Anyembe earns a reported 2000 pounds a week, which is an equivalent of 352,000 Kenyan shillings a week, making him one of the highest earning Kenyan footballers. Viborg will be playing in the UEFA Europa Conference league next season which essentially means he will earn even more bonuses and incentives for taking part in that competition.
6.Eric ‘Marcelo’ Otieno-£2k pounds-352k Shillings
Eric Marcelo Ouma is one of Kenya’s highest paid football players, earning upwards of 352,000 shillings a week. Otieno plays predominantly as a left wing back for AIK where he uses his pace to influence attacks and also make defensive recovery runs.
He started out at Gor Mahia before moving to Georgia and then Sweden, where he played for Vasserlunds IF before sealing a move to AIK.
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06:53 - 13.05.2023
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5.Joseph Okumu- £2100-375k Shillings
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Gent’s Joseph Okumu is one of Kenya’s best footballers and subsequently, one of the highest earning, as he takes home a reported 2100 pounds a week, equivalent to 375,000 Kenyan Shillings a week.
Okumu made his name during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, having been based in the USA after he had spells in Kenya and South Africa. He then moved to IF Elfsborg in Sweden in 2019 before moving to Gent in 2021.
5. Linton Maina- £3k-529k Shillings
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Linton Maina plays for Koln in the German Bundesliga where he just scored 3 goals and registered 7 assists in the recently concluded 2022/23 season, where he nearly helped Borussia Dortmund win their first title since 2012 as they nearly frustrated Bayern Munich from getting a result.
Maina has represented Germany at the youth level but is open to representing Kenya in future, as his father is Kenyan and mother is German. He takes home a reported 3,000 pounds a week’s wages which is the equivalent of 529,000 shillings.
4. Eric Johanna Omondi- £4k- 704k shillings
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Eric Johanna Omondi is one of Kenya’s highest paid football players. The former Mathare United midfielder earns a reported 4,000 pounds a week, equivalent to 704,000 shillings. He plies his trade for Muangthong United in Thailand and has previously had spells in Sweden for Vasserlunds and IF Brommapojkarna
Omondi has won 36 caps for Kenya, scoring 4 goals
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05:30 - 10.05.2023
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3. Ayub Masika-£8k- 1.4 M shillings
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The first player on the seven-figure Kenyan Shillings deal, Ayub Timbe Masika is the third highest paid Kenyan footballer.
The Nanjing man earns a reported 8000 pounds a week, the equivalent of 1.4 million Kenyan shillings. Masika has made a good career financially so far, having started at Genk and had spells in China and Japan. He has also played for Reading in the English league championship before.
2.Victor Wanyama- £35k a week-6.1M shillings a week
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Victor Wanyama is by a long shot, the most famous Kenyan footballer, having played for clubs like Celtic, Southampton and Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur. He then sealed a move to Montreal Impact in 2020. He is the second highest paid football player in Kenya.
He initially earned 65,000 pounds a week, before resigning on reduced terms this year and now earns 35,000 pounds a week, which is still a whooping 6.1 million Kenyan Shillings a week.
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05:30 - 12.05.2023
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1.Michael Olunga-£37500 (Apprx KES 6.6 M)
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Al Duhail striker Michael Olunga is the highest paid Kenyan footballer of 2023. He earns a reported 37,500 pounds a week wages in Qatar, the equivalent of 6.6 million Kenyan Shillings.
Olunga, who is the captain of the national team following Wanyama’s international retirement has not been short of suitors as his contract at Al Duhail comes to an end, with the likes of Everton interested in his signature. Should he seal such moves, he will be sure to even earn more lucrative terms.
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