Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has announced that the government has released funds to allow the national broadcaster, Kenya National Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), to air the 2026 FIFA World Cup on free-to-air television.
Mbadi made the remarks on June 4 when officials from Gor Mahia FC visited the Treasury headquarters in Nairobi to present the FKF Premier League trophy. He assured football fans across the country that they would be able to follow the tournament without subscription barriers.
The Treasury boss disclosed that he had personally engaged KBC Managing Director Agnes Kalekye, who is currently working to complete the remaining processes needed to secure the broadcast arrangement.
“World Cup is coming in a couple of days, and we are looking forward to this football extravaganza. I know we had some challenges in sponsoring KBC to air it, but we have unlocked that,” Mbadi said.
He explained that the government had already authorised the funds required for the acquisition of free-to-air broadcasting rights, removing a major obstacle that had raised fears over access to the matches.
“This morning, I actually spoke to Kaleche, who is the MD, and there is something she is working on. We have already approved funding from the national government to support the airing.”
The development will come as welcome news for millions of football supporters who had been uncertain about whether they would be able to watch the tournament as the deadline drew closer.
KBC had faced the challenge of raising about Ksh150 million to secure rights for the competition, which will feature 104 matches hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The expanded 2026 World Cup, the biggest edition in the history of FIFA, will involve 48 teams, significantly increasing the cost of broadcasting rights compared to previous tournaments and placing additional pressure on public broadcasters.
Negotiations between KBC and FIFA had reportedly slowed due to delays in government funding, leaving uncertainty over the broadcaster's ability to conclude a deal before the June 11 kick-off.
The issue also attracted the attention of the National Assembly's Committee on Communications, Information and Innovation, which held discussions with KBC regarding the funding gap.
Worldwide, rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are estimated to be worth about Ksh500 billion (USD3.9 billion), although prices differ from one market to another depending on factors such as audience size and commercial value.
In China, state broadcaster CCTV reportedly secured broadcasting rights for around Ksh7.7 billion (USD60 million), after negotiating a substantial reduction from FIFA's initial valuation of between Ksh32 billion and Ksh39 billion (USD250 million to USD300 million).
Meanwhile, India's rights package was obtained through an eight-year agreement with Zee Entertainment valued at more than Ksh5.2 billion (USD40 million), following the collapse of earlier talks with other broadcasters over pricing concerns.
For Kenya, where football enjoys immense popularity but public broadcasting resources remain limited, the government's intervention is expected to play a key role in ensuring nationwide access to the tournament.
