You will not be allowed to carry vuvuzelas, whistles, drums, loudspeakers and megaphones to stadiums during the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN).
On Monday, July 28, the tournament’s Local Safety and Security Department released a list of prohibited items in the stadium and revealed that these items will not be allowed in.
The department urged football fans to follow the rules and maintain calm, emphasising the need for fans to turn up in their masses to support Kenya's Harambee Stars.
In addition to banning noise-making devices, the department also prohibited animals, including household pets, from entering the stadium, except for service dogs.
Also on the list was 'outside food'/takeaways, except for food purchased inside the stadium, food brought for medical reasons or for infants. Powdery substances such as flour and similar fine materials were also prohibited.
Offensive or political banners were also banned.
“Flags or banners targeting politics, race, gender, religion, nationality, or personal identity will not be allowed into the stadium,” the notice read.
Further, electronic, musical, telecom equipment that can jam signals or disrupt broadcast, IT or tech systems, was also put on the red list. All types of bottles (including disposable), cups, cans, and any capped or sealed containers were also banned from stadiums.
Large items, such as ladders, benches, step folding chairs, cooler boxes, suitcases, or large bags and backpacks, were also not allowed entry. The department also banned illegal drugs such as narcotics and stimulants, only allowing medically required substances for spectators with health conditions.
In the same breadth, items that could be used to harm or injure, whether sharp, blunt, or heavy that could stab, hit, or injure, were also flagged by the tournament’s organisers. The ban was also extended to explosives, detonators, or ignition devices. “Any item that hides or contains explosive parts.”
Firearms or weapons, real or replica guns, ammunition or firearm parts, were also prohibited from the tournament as they posed a security and safety threat.
Helmets, including motorcycle helmets, sports, construction or helmets of any kind, were prohibited by the organisers.
Other prohibited items included fire/hazardous materials such as fireworks, flares, or pyrotechnics. Smoke bombs, gas canisters, combustible, toxic, or pungent substances were also not allowed.
Flammable materials such as spray paint cans, liquid paints, corrosive or flammable materials, and containers with health risks were also banned from stadiums.
In addition, breakable or pressurised containers and hazardous substances such as powders, pastes or chemicals are also included in the list of prohibited items.
Certain items, such as vuvuzelas and whistles, are very common in stadiums during games, with spectators using them to bring in the atmosphere as they cheer on their favourite teams or players.
The CHAN 2024 tournament is set to begin on Saturday, August 2, at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and end on Saturday, August 30, at the Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani, Nairobi, Kenya.
Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda are the co-hosts of the current edition, and it will serve as a dress rehearsal for the 2027 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
