African Nations Championship (CHAN) local organising committee chairperson Nicholas Musonye has explained why nominated Senator Karen Nyamu and government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura were redirected from the presidential entrance at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
Speaking on Nation FM, Musonye said access to the presidential box is usually limited, hence some of the restrictions put in place.
He said that with the configuration made, the presidential box has a capacity of only 60 people, while the VIP section has a capacity of about 200 people.
Musonye explained that part of the procedure is that top state officers are asked to communicate in advance their attendance for ticket allocation.
He, however, said most of them do not, and this sometimes causes problems when it comes to accessing reserved areas.
“There is the presidential tribune, which is limited, both at Kasarani and Nyayo stadiums. We have configured the two venues. Where it used to be VVIP, was about 100; now the capacity is 60. The other VIP there is not even 200. So, even the top government officials who want to come, we ask them to confirm attendance on time so we can allocate those tickets," Musonye said.
“When they don’t communicate that they are going to attend, that is when you find a lot of problems, even for top government officials to enter these limited areas. A top civil servant might arrive without prior notice, making it difficult for organisers to manage already allocated spaces,” he said.
He further explained that the presidential podium has to be shared by the President, his aides, invited guests, and top Football Kenya Federation officials, among others.
Musonye’s remarks followed viral videos seen by the Star, which showed UDA-nominated Senator Karen Nyamu and government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura being redirected from the presidential entrance and guided to an alternative access point.
They were directed to use alternative entrances to access the VIP area of the stadium to watch the match between Harambee Stars and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
