President William Ruto receives progress update on AFCON 2027 preparations at State House/PCS
President William Ruto has expressed confidence in Kenya's preparations to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), citing steady progress in stadium infrastructure and early preparations for the national football team.
The President spoke after receiving a briefing from the Ministry of Sports and other stakeholders on the status of preparations for the continental football tournament, which Kenya will jointly host with her neighbouring countries.
The meeting was held at State House, Nairobi, on Thursday evening where officials updated the President on infrastructure development and other key milestones ahead of the championship, which will mark the first time the three East African nations co-host the Africa Cup of Nations.
Officials at State House during presentation of the Afco 2027 report to President William Ruto /PCS
Sports CS Salim Mvurya, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation Agnes Kelekye at State House, Nairobi /PCS
"I got a brief from the Ministry of Sports and other stakeholders on the preparation for AFCON 2027 that Kenya will be co-hosting with our East African Partner States, Uganda and Tanzania, at State House Nairobi. It is pleasing to note that our stadia infrastructure development is on course," Ruto said.
"We have also started preparing our national team, Harambee Stars, for the African football bonanza next year. We are committed to fully giving the team the necessary support to ensure it represents our country effectively at the continental event."
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania were awarded the hosting rights for AFCON 2027 by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), making it the first time the tournament will be staged in the East African region.
The three countries have since embarked on upgrading sports infrastructure, including stadiums and training facilities, to meet CAF's hosting requirements.
The government has repeatedly maintained that the construction and renovation of key sporting venues remain on schedule as the countdown to the tournament continues.
President William Ruto addresses virtual event on Keeping Clean Cooking High on Africa's Development Agenda /PCS
Separately, President Ruto addressed the Virtual High-Level Event on Keeping Clean Cooking High on Africa's Development Agenda, where he welcomed fresh financial commitments aimed at expanding access to clean cooking solutions across the continent.
The President said the announcement of USD 900 million (Sh166 billion) in new commitments towards the clean cooking agenda would help accelerate Africa's transition away from traditional cooking fuels.
"The launch of the Clean Cooking Security Programme is also a critical step towards accelerating the transition to clean cooking," he said.
Ruto noted that the event had initially been planned as the Second Africa Clean Cooking Summit to be hosted in Nairobi and reiterated Kenya's commitment to expanding access to clean energy.
"We are accelerating investment and stronger partnerships that will ensure universal access to clean cooking across Africa. It is regrettable that nearly one billion people in Africa still rely on traditional fuels that threaten public health, education and the environment," he said.
The President said Kenya has made clean cooking a national development priority through the Kenya National Cooking Transition Strategy, which seeks to achieve universal access to clean cooking by 2028.
He added that both Kenya and the rest of Africa must sustain momentum towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
