Kenya can host AFCON contest
The approval by the Cabinet on Tuesday for Kenya to bid to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) alongside other East African nations is commendable.
The Cabinet session that was chaired by President William Ruto agreed that Kenya hosting the coveted continental showpiece alongside other regional nations will go a long way in helping Harambee Stars achieve its ambitious target of qualifying for the 2030 Fifa World Cup.
However, Kenya’s move to co-host the championship with other East Africa countries amounts to punching below our weight, to say the least, considering the milestones the country has made in sports. Kenya is the largest economy in East and Central Africa.
With its superior financial muscle, the country should consider bidding to host Africa’s biggest football extravaganza on its own, considering the financial gains and infrastructural development that come along when staging such events.
In 1996, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stripped Kenya of the rights to host the continental showpiece due to the poor state of sports facilities in the country.
It was the same reason CAF stripped Kenya of the rights to host the 2018 African Nations Championships (CHAN).
Kenya has the capacity to host Afcon if the sports facilities like the Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega, Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu, Kirigiti Stadium in Kiambu, Kinoru Stadium in Meru and the Nairobi’s Moi International Sports Centre and Nyayo National Stadium can be improved.
The ongoing construction work at some of these arenas like Bukhungu and Kisumu, among others, ought to be upgraded to the required international standards with 2027 in mind.
