Over the years, the performance displayed by Kenya’s athletes has been exceptional. While their success has solidified national pride, economic pressures in Kenya have forced them to fall for foreign financial incentives. Check out these three Kenyans who changed nationality after receiving millions.
Brigid Kosgei
In January 2026, while holding a world marathon record, Brigid acquired Turkish citizenship. This decision came after her past winning streaks, especially breaking a previous record and securing a silver medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Here, the 31-year-old was offered a whopping KES 64.5 million as a bonus for signing alone, an upfront strategy to convince her to acquire Turkish citizenship. Today, Brigid has no remorse regarding her change of allegiances.
“Yes, I have already changed my citizenship from Kenyan to Turkish. I am now waiting for a go-ahead from World Athletics to start competing,” she revealed.
Ruth Jebet
In 2013, Jebet acquired Bahraini nationality at only 16 after failing to secure a slot on Kenyan athletics teams. Here, Jebet pocketed KES 64.6 million, instead of the KES 1 million received by Kenyan gold medalists.
Jebet went on to win gold by winning the 3000-meter steeplechase in 2016. While in an interview shortly after her victory, Jebet revealed why she had been compelled to become a Bahraini citizen.
“After struggling to secure support in Kenya, I decided to speak with the Bahraini federation, who quickly listened to me and paid me better,” Ruth Jebet.
Despite succeeding in Bahrain, her career took a negative shift when she was suspended for doping. However, when the suspension ended, she returned to the track, winning Bahrain’s first Olympic gold medal.
Stephen Cherono
In 2003, Cherono became a focus of public concern after he ditched Kenyan nationality for that of Qatar. Cherono was offered a lifetime monthly incentive of KES 112,300 while at the peak of his career.
In 2003 and 2005, with a new Qatar name (Shaheen), Cherono went forth to win a gold medal at the highly competitive World Championships.
While these changes of allegiances sparked debates about loyalty, they also challenged Kenya’s sports leadership to invest more in the welfare of athletes or continue losing talent to foreign countries.
