The Kenyan government has responded to growing concerns and speculation that Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania could lose the right to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) due to alleged poor infrastructure and road networks across the region.
Speaking on Sunday, January 18, during a benchmarking visit in Morocco, Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi firmly dismissed the claims, saying Kenya and her East African neighbours are fully prepared to host the prestigious continental tournament.
He stated that the three countries meet the required standards in terms of infrastructure, facilities, and overall preparedness.
According to Mwangi, Kenya has already demonstrated its ability to host major football tournaments, citing the successful co-hosting of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in 2025 alongside Uganda and Tanzania.
He explained that the experience gained during CHAN helped the countries identify gaps, learn valuable lessons, and make improvements ahead of AFCON 2027.
“We have the capacity and what it takes to host AFCON. We are ready in terms of infrastructure, amenities, and even the quality of our teams. We hosted CHAN successfully, we learned from it, and we are improving further,” Mwangi said.
He added that the government has the full backing of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and strong support from President William Ruto.
The PS described the 2027 tournament as a major opportunity for East Africa to showcase its potential to the rest of the continent and the world.
He assured football fans that the region intends to deliver an even better event than CHAN, promising that AFCON 2027 will be organised to a very high standard.
Mwangi made the remarks after Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania were officially confirmed as hosts of the 2027 AFCON. During the event, the three countries received the AFCON flag, a symbolic gesture that formally handed them hosting rights for the tournament.
While in Morocco, Mwangi said the benchmarking tour allowed him and other officials to study modern stadiums and sports infrastructure.
He noted that several ideas and areas for improvement had been identified and would be implemented back home to ensure Kenya is fully ready.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to completing key projects, including the Talanta Stadium, which is expected to host the opening and closing ceremonies of the tournament.
The recent debate around Kenya’s hosting rights intensified after comments made by an Ivorian journalist, who questioned whether Kenya and its neighbours had adequate infrastructure to host AFCON.
The journalist suggested that the tournament could be moved to countries with more developed facilities, remarks that sparked strong reactions from football fans across East Africa.
In response to the claims, CAF President Patrice Motsepe quickly dismissed the idea of relocating the tournament. He stressed CAF’s commitment to developing football across the continent and said it would be unfair and counterproductive to limit hosting rights to only a few traditionally strong or wealthy nations.
Kenya is set to jointly host the 2027 AFCON with Uganda and Tanzania, marking the first time in history that the tournament will be co-hosted by three countries.
It will also be the first AFCON to be staged in the East African region in nearly 50 years, the last one being the 1976 tournament held in Ethiopia. The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is expected to take place between June and July 2027.
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