Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has subtly faulted his predecessor for committing Kenya to provide two stadiums to host the Africa Nations Championships (CHAN) in February next year.
Murkomen, while addressing fears that the country will not have any grounds ready to host the games, asserted that Kenya will be ready to host the games.
On Monday, reports emerged that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had stripped Kenya of the right to host the tournament in favour of Rwanda. According to media reports from People Daily Sports, CAF does not believe that Kenya will have the two stadiums needed by December 31.
Despite these reports, CAF did not dispatch any official communication on the matter and CS Murkomen remained bullish on the matter. “Definitely. We are hosting CHAN from February 1st up to February 28, 2025,” Murkomen said during an interview with NTV on Monday night.
The outspoken CS went on to take a subtle dig at the former Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba and the outgoing Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Nick Mwendwa for committing Kenya to provide two stadiums for the tournament.
“I think that was a mistake if you look at it from hindsight. Because even Uganda and Tanzania, who had CAF-qualified stadiums only, you know, offered one stadium each. For us, we were extremely ambitious considering that even before then, we didn't have any one of the stadiums that qualified to host the matches,” Murkomen stated while faulting the decision-making to host the African competition.
Kenya was granted the hosting rights alongside neighbours Tanzania and Uganda for the tournament, which will kick off on February 1, 2025. However, while the other two countries have stadiums, Kenya does not.
With a timeline of 21 days, Kasarani and Nyayo Stadiums earmarked for the tournament are far from ready.
The government has a deadline of December 31 to deliver them. However, according to Murkomen, several crucial materials are yet to arrive in the country.
The renovation work at Kasarani is just over 30 per cent done as there is still no ready pitch, seats, roof, or even floodlights, while Nyayo is way behind, casting doubts on their readiness by December 31.
“The contract for Karasani Stadium was awarded in May this year. And there is you know, a massive overhaul, including the roof. We're fitting everywhere, including the pitch, and removing all the seats,” Murkomen told NTV.
He went on to explain, “A number of the things, including seats, are at the Port of Mombasa, and some are in the high seas on the way. There are some of the roofing trusses already here. But the roofing material, the Taflon part of it, is on the way, part is yet to be here.”
Despite Murkomen’s best assurances, Kenya now looks like it will lose its position to Rwanda, who already have the Amahoro Stadium.
On Friday last week, Murkomen appointed a 36-member multi-agency team to oversee preparations for CHAN 2024 and 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Members of the Project Oversight Council are Murkomen, Sports Principal Secretary Peter Tum, and his counterparts from the ministries of Defence, National Treasury, Transport, and Foreign Affairs, or their representatives.
