The government has subtly responded to claims that Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania might not host the 2027 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) due to poor roads and overall infrastructure.
Speaking on Sunday, January 18, during a benchmarking tour in Morocco, Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi said Kenya, just like her two neighbours, was ready in terms of infrastructure and any other requirements needed to host the African Cup.
He noted that Kenya had the capacity and what it takes to host the tournament, highlighting the success witnessed when the three countries hosted the African Nations Championships (CHAN) in 2025.
"We have the capacity and what it takes, both infrastructure-wise and the amenities within the countries, including our teams. We did it during CHAN, and we did learn. We have the support of CAF and the president is supporting us," the PS stated.
"It is a great opportunity for us to show what we have. We shall make it better than CHAN and even better than Morocco," he added.
Mwangi was speaking after the three countries were confirmed to be hosting the next AFCON tournament, where they received the AFCON flag, officially signalling that they will be hosting the tournament in 2027.
He welcomed sports lovers from Africa and all over the world, terming the collective hosting of the tournament as an excellent opportunity for the East African countries to showcase what they have.
During the benchmarking, the PS noted the infrastructural developments, especially the stadiums in Morocco, highlighting that he had identified places that required improvements back home.
He reaffirmed the country's determination to ensure the tournament becomes a success. He also noted that the government is putting everything in place, including the completion of the Talanta Stadium, which is expected to be used during the opening and closing ceremonies of the tournament.
Speculations that Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania could miss hosting the tournament intensified after an Ivorian journalist argued that Kenya and its neighbours had poor infrastructure. He asked if there was a possibility of the tournament being moved to countries that had better infrastructure. These comments were not taken lightly by East African football fans, including Kenyans.
In a quick response, CAF president Patrice Motsepe dismissed the calls, underlying CAF's commitment to African development through football. Motsepe emphasised that it would be counter-productive for only more established nations to host lucrative tournaments.
Kenya is set to co-host the 2027 AFCON tournament together with Uganda and Tanzania, after successfully co-hosting CHAN in 2025. This will be the first time ever that the tournament is being co-hosted and will be the first in the East African region in nearly 50 years, the last being the 1976 one that was hosted in Ethiopia. The tournament is expected to run from June to July 2027.
