Kenya's 2027 Africa Cup of Nations bid alive: Namwamba
Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba (left) speaks with football coach James Gakonga (right) after appearing before the Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare on April 26,2023. Namwamba had appeared before the Committee regarding a petition by Gakonga on Linda Soka Tapping Into The Sh 302 Billion Football Economy.
What you need to know:
- Uganda and and Tanzania are the countries Kenya hopes to put together with a successful bid to host the 36 edition of the prestigious biennial continental showpiece.
Kenya’s dream to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) is alive after the Confederation of African (CAF) acknowledged receiving an expression of interest from the country.
Uganda and and Tanzania are the countries Kenya hopes to jointly put together a successful bid to host the 36 edition of the prestigious biennial continental showpiece.
Speaking to Nation Sport on Wednesday, Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Secretary General Barry Otieno said they have received a communication from CAF confirming receipt of their submission of expression of interest to co-host the tournament.
The deadline for the submission of expressions of interest to host the 2027 Afcon was on April 20.
Otieno said FKF will continue to engage their counterparts in Uganda and Tanzania on the matter as they await the offical bidding documents from CAF.
CAF has set May 23 as the deadline to receive bids to host the 2027 Afcon.
The Cabinet chaired by President William Ruto had on December 6 last year approved the proposal to have Kenya host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) alongside other East African nations.
In a statement, the Cabinet said Kenya co-hosting the coveted continental showpiece, alongside other EAC nations will go a long way in helping Harambee Stars achieve its ambitious target of qualifying for the 2030 World Cup.
And speaking Wednesday before the Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare, Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba said he has held discussions with his Uganda and Tanzania counterparts Peter Ongwang and Pindi Chana respectively on the matter.
“..We intend to bid to host the 2027 Afcon jointly with Tanzania and Uganda. I am glad to report to this committee that that process has already started. We have held consultation between myself and my colleagues, the Minister of Sports in Tanzania and Uganda and we are putting together an EAC Bid to bring Afcon to our shows,” he said.
Namwamba had appeared before the committee chaired by Senator Julius Murgor regarding a petition titled "Linda Soka Tapping Into the Sh302 Billion Football Economy" by football coach James Gakonga who is based in the United Kingdom.
In the petition, Gakonga wants the Senate to adopt a football governance and management draft bill that he has prepared, saying it will go a long way in transforming the sport in the country.
He calls for the disbandment of FKF, and the establishment of a new body to run the sport in the country, arguing that FKF has been bedeviled by problems thus it cannot govern Kenyan football well.
Addressing the press after the session with the Senators, Namwamba confirmed that Kenya had indeed beaten the April 20 deadline of submission of expression of interest to co-host the 2027 Afcon.
He said that the joint bid with Uganda and Tanzania is a strong one and “that it is about time the Africa Cup of Nations come to EAC."
He said that the three countries will look at the budget and then agree to share the responsibility should their bid go through, declaring that “Kenya is ready to host the Afcon."
Kenya was awarded and later on stripped of the hosting rights for the 1996 Afcon, and 2018 African Nation Championship (CHAN).
