•Namwamba said the three countries have met twice to devise a plan that could help them clinch the right to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
•Later in the year, a group from the Confederation of African Football is expected in Kenya to assess the country’s readiness.
Image: PSC
The Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Ababu Namwamba, has revealed Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania will each contribute US$30m (Sh4,126,500,000) towards the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Namwamba said the three countries have met twice to devise a plan that could help them clinch the right to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The CS said he has already had two meetings with his Tanzanian and Ugandan counterparts to map out the next steps.
“In two meetings with Pindi Chama from Tanzania and Peter Ongweno from Uganda, we decided that each nation would provide the necessary funding to complete the task at hand,” Namwamba said.
Later in the year, a group from the Confederation of African Football is expected in Kenya to assess the country’s readiness.
According to Ababu, the government is making a valiant effort to regain Caf’s confidence after Kenya failed to follow through when it acquired the rights to host the 2018 Chan Cup
“It will be challenging for us to improve upon our dismal history with Caf. The plan and the work in progress must be visible when Caf delegation arrive for inspection and that is what we are working on,” the CS said.
“Kenya has long desired to host this competition. We’ve made arrangements to assure that we won’t fail again after missing out on another chance earlier. We are now well aware of the standards required to host such a tournament,” Ababu stated.
The CS also explained the infrastructure master-plan that the government has in place to make the sports projects a success.
He disclosed the government’s blueprints to get local stadiums ready for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
His remarks come a couple of days after President William Ruto officially unveiled Kenya’s bid to host the premier annual continental showpiece jointly with Uganda and Tanzania.
“We have the infrastructure master plan, which shows how far along we are in the planning process. The standardisation of Kasarani and Nyayo stadiums would be shown in the plan, along with any unfinished construction projects, according to Ababu.
Namwamba called attention to the deplorable state of Nyayo Stadium, which he claimed had been set aside for a comprehensive refurbishment to meet the minimum standard required by the world football governing body, Fifa.
“It is one of the three stadiums in Kenya that we are suggesting be used for the 2027 Afcon. It most definitely needs serious renovation,” the CS remarked. “Nyayo requires floodlights to host nighttime matches.The present poles now belong to museums because they are technologically obsolete and must be replaced.”
He discussed preparations to shield all supporters from inclement weather that may cause them discomfort while watching matches at Nyayo Stadium. “Currently, only the VIP area is roofed; we are working to ensure the entire stadium is roofed,” Ababu continued.
We have already started working on numbering the seats so that they appear on the digital tickets that will be purchased.
Namwamba pledged to upgrade the stadium’s watering system and replace the stadium’s old carpet with modern turf.