After being stripped of the African Nations Championships (CHAN) hosting rights, Kenya will have a consolation event after the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) Executive Committee approved the country as the 2017 Senior Challenge host.
Kenya won the rights on condition that the political climate will be conducive in the run-up to the November event where a standby host nation will be considered if the environment will not be safe.
Football Kenya Federation President Nick Mwendwa confirmed of the country’s interest in hosting the regional showpiece which has not taken place extinct in the last two years.
Mwendwa further stated that the Cecafa challenge will be held in Nakuru (Afraha) and Mombasa (Mbaraki) since the country’s top facilities are currently under renovations.
Over the weekend, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stripped Kenya the rights to host CHAN and a perfect redemption for the country came when the Cecafa meeting in Khartoum, Sudan stated their solidarity with Kenya in hosting the regional event.
It will be remembered the last time Kenya played the host nation for the tournament in 2013, the home boys Harambee Stars went ahead to win the cup. Uganda are the current champions having won the last edition staged in Ethiopia in 2015.
Cecafa, through their secretary general Nicholas Musonye, confirmed the development which would cool the heated debate of who failed the country in securing full hosting rights for the Chan championships.
The regional body also made their intentions of running the U-17 tournament in Burundi and the Women’s Championships in Rwanda. The Under 17 tournament has been in the cold since 2009 where Uganda, again, won.