- The governors said the Western region is where football fans exist in a larger number and not in Uasin Gishu, or Eldoret.
- They said the decision may be denying the Western region the opportunity to host the games because they are not 'shareholders'.
Image: FILE
Senate Majority leader Aaron Cheruiyot has poked fun at some governors from the Western region calling for a change of venues for hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations in the country.
In a tweet, Cheruiyot appeared to defend the decision by the government to have the matches played in Nairobi and Eldoret while summoning back the memories of the recent mass protests.
“Na mkieka maandamano siku ya game? (What if you stage demonstrations on a match day?),” he joked in response to the statement posted by Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o on his Twitter page.
Nyong’o did not, however, reply with some users coming to his support as others criticized him for the tall story.
“All due respect their demands make sense, you don’t have to keep pulling political innuendos always,” Davis Ongiro said.
Another follower asked, “Which stadium meets Fifa standards in Nyanza and Western?”
In the joint statement, Nyong’o and his Kakamega counterpart Fernandes Barasa have raised concerns over it terming it a “tragic decision”.
"Western Kenya should have been included with either matches being held in Kisumu or Kakamega," they said.
The governors said the Western region is where football fans exist in a larger number and not in Uasin Gishu, or Eldoret.
"The success of the matches will be on the turn-up at the stadium where the matches will be held," they said.
"Eldoret has athletes and athletic fans in millions. But not soccer and that is the naked truth."
They further said due to the above, the Afcon matches will be played in empty stadiums with very little impact.
The governors said the decision may be denying the Western region the opportunity to host the games because they are not shareholders.
"That would be extremely myopic as the President was representing the country when he teamed with our colleagues in the East African Community. Coming back home, the goalpost seems to have changed. That's unfortunate," they said.
They noted that their neighbors who are co-hosting the tournament with Kenya, under the 'Pamoja' proposal, have each chosen three venues.
They include Uganda-Kampala, Lira and Hoima, Tanzania-Dar e Salaam, Zanzibar and Arusha wondering why the same can't be done in Kenya.
The governor further noted that there is still time to reconsider the decision because the people of Western Kenya are waiting.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarded the joint hosting rights for the 2027 AFCON to Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Among the stadia where the matches will be staged include the 30,000-seater Nyayo Stadium, 60,000-seater Moi Stadium, Kasarani, Kipchoge Keino Stadium, and an all-new Jamhuri facility named ‘Talanta Sports City'.
Image: FILE