The government has announced six designated areas as fan zones ahead of the Harambee Stars' final Group A African Nations Championship (CHAN) match against Zambia.
With the stadium capacity at the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani getting slashed by 40 per cent to 27,000 by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the government set aside six areas for the Sunday game where the fans can watch Harambee Stars take on Zambia. The areas include:
Uhuru Park
A section of Uhuru Park has been set aside as a fan zone in Nairobi for the game on Sunday, August 17.
Lucky Summer (Ngomongo Area, behind Kasarani Stadium)
Fans in this area can gather to watch the match live.
Dandora Stadium
Another venue where supporters can join the celebrations.
Utalii (Stima Club)
Fans can watch the game in a designated section here.
Jacaranda Grounds
This area has been identified as a fan zone for local supporters.
Kibera DC Grounds
Kibera residents can enjoy the match safely in this designated area.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya announced the move on Wednesday, August 13, following a meeting with security stakeholders including Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja in Nairobi.
Mvurya reiterated that the zones were specifically placed in strategic neighborhoods within Nairobi to give fans the near-similar experience to that of being inside the stadium.
"We have taken measures to create fan zones across Nairobi where we will have big screens to ensure we provide an opportunity for those who are unable to watch the game from the stadium," CS Mvurya said.
The CS also assured the public that the designated fan zones would be secured with adequate police officers to ensure order and safety of fans in attendance.
Ahead of the Sunday game, the government announced several strict measures to ensure there was no chaos in or around the stadium. Notably, only fans with valid electronic tickets would be allowed inside the grounds. Fans have also been urged to arrive at the stadium five hours earlier, to avoid last-minute influx at the gates moments to kick-off.
On Tuesday, the Local Organising Committee, through chairman Nicholas Musonye, advised fans to purchase match tickets only from the authorised online vendor. By the end of Tuesday all tickets for the game were sold out.
The fan-zone concept has been around for decades, with event organisers and local authorities resorting to designing areas for football fans to watch major tournaments for an inclusive viewing experience. With the CHAN being one of the biggest tournaments Kenya has hosted, there was an expectation that fan zones would be deployed from the first match against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
While the Sports Ministry did not specify whether fan zones would be the norm well after the Zambia game, there is a chance the new initiative could extend to other Harambee Stars matches since Kenya is in pole position to advance to the CHAN quarter finals and beyond.
The Harambee Stars, who are top of a grueling Group A, which comprises Angola, the DRC, Zambia and two-time CHAN champions Morocco, will have the chance to secure a spot in the quarter-finals as group winners during their final group game.
On Tuesday, the FKF also clarified the kick-off time for the Harambee Stars clash against Zambia, which is slated for 3pm EAT.
