MPs demand for budget of upgrade of Afcon, Chan venues
Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts Ababu Namwamba (right) shares a word with his Principal Secretary Peter Tum at Continental House Nairobi on February 15, 2024. They appeared before the Committee to appraise on the Country’s preparations for co-hosting the 2027 African Cup of Nations (Afcon).
What you need to know:
- While the Confederation of African Football (Caf) are not so strict when it comes to hosting Chan, the continental football governing body demands that training and match venues for Afcon be of world-class standards
- Regarding the Talanta Hela Initiative, Tum told the same committee that the government had spent Sh532 million on the project
Members of Parliament have given the government until June 30 to submit to the National Assembly, the budget for development of all venues earmarked for the 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan) and 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
This is according to the report on the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) for financial year 2024/25, which has since been approved by the National Assembly.
In the same document, the legislators have also directed Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba, to present to it by the same date, a clear roadmap of the Talanta Hela Programme.
“That by 30th June 2024, the State Department for Sports in conjunction with Sports Kenya, submit to the National Assembly a clear resource requirement and funding options for each stadia and training grounds earmarked for upgrading and construction in preparation of Chan 2024 and Afcon 2027,” read part of the recommendations by the Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations in the BPS report.
“That by 30th June 2024, the Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports submit a report to the National Assembly on the road map for the Talanta Hela Programme, institutions implementing the programme, expected outputs, talents identification, nurturing and marketing from the grassroots.”
The Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations is chaired by Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro.
The Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture has in the report raised concern that despite Kenya being poised to co-host the two important tournaments with neighbours Uganda and Tanzania, the Ministry of Sports had not come up with a clear budget for the development of the venues where they will take place.
“The State Department for Sports requires considerable resource allocation to adequately prepare for these important continental tournaments. The State Department has however not developed a comprehensive resource requirement for the upgrade of Stadia and training grounds for these tournaments,” said the Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture.
The Chan competition will be held sometime in September.
While the Confederation of African Football (Caf) are not so strict when it comes to hosting Chan, the continental football governing body demands that training and match venues for Afcon be of world-class standards.
Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega, Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu, Nyayo National Stadium, Ulinzi Sports Complex and Moi International Sports Centre (MISC) Kasarani Annex in Nairobi are the venues Kenya is considering for Chan. They were inspected by Caf last week.
For Afcon, Kenya has earmarked the 60,000-seater Talanta Sports City (yet to be constructed) and 60,000-seater MISC, as the competition stadiums.
The proposed training venues include; Kasarani Annex, Kenya Academy of Sports, Nyayo National Stadium, Ulinzi Sports Complex, Mbaraki Sports Ground, Shanzu Teachers Training College, Mombasa Municipal Grounds, Eldoret University, Eldoret Polytechnic, Dani ASK Grounds and Eldoret ASK Grounds.
President William Ruto on March 1 presided over the ground-breaking of the Talanta Sports City at Jamhuri Posta Grounds along Ngong road in Nairobi. During that ceremony, the construction cost of the facility was not revealed with Namwamba only stating that it will be less the amount which was used to put up the 60,000-seater Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire and 45,000-seater Amahoro National Stadium in Rwanda. According to the BBC, it cost Cote d’Ivoire $257 million (Sh36 billion as per Tuesday’s exchange rates) to construct the 60,000-seater Alassane Ouattara Stadium.
The New Times of Rwanda reported in June 2022 that it will cost the government Rwf 160 billion (Sh17bilillion) to complete the upgrade work of Amahoro Stadium.
And speaking last Tuesday while appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Sports, Culture and Tourism, Sports Principal Secretary Peter Tum said that Talanta Sports City Stadium is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project.
But he could not reveal how much the stadium and related infrastructure would cost. “Bwana (Mr) Mule, let me promise you that as we do this, let’s give the information in writing, as we bring our submission, so that we can quickly consult with the Defence (Ministry) and then we will give you the figures,” said the PS after being hard-pressed to reveal the cost of the project by Matungulu MP Stephen Mule.
Regarding the Talanta Hela Initiative, Tum told the same committee that the government had spent Sh532 million on the project.
He said the amount was spent in holding five sports talent camps, the inaugural Talanta Hela U-19 Inter-County Football Tournament and training technical administration personnel in various disciplines.
He said five sports talent camps attracted over 2,500 participants while over 2,000 technical administration personnel benefited from the training.
Talanta Hela Initiative is Kenya Kwanza’s flagship project that seeks to rebuild and monetise sports and creative industry in the country.
