NAIROBI, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President William Ruto on Saturday promised the country's soccer team Harambee Stars over 600 million shillings (4.6 million U.S. dollars) if they win the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).

"Guys, it cannot get better than this. We have tripled the rewards so that everyone does their best," Ruto told the players during a breakfast meeting in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

"This is a very historic moment for Kenya. It is the first time in the history of football that Kenya is hosting CHAN," he said.

Ruto also pledged 464,500 dollars for reaching the last eight, over 542,000 dollars for qualifying for the semifinals and over 697,000 for making it to the Aug. 30 tournament final in Nairobi.

He added each player will also receive over 7,741 dollars for every game they win and half of the amount for a draw.

The month-long tournament, which is co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, kicks off on Saturday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. ■