Kenya stares at a race against time to be ready to host next year’s Africa Nations Championship (CHAN), which is scheduled to kick off February 1 and run all the way to February 28. The country is grappling at unfinished stadia renovations, with continental football body CAF pushing for works to be completed in time.
Kenya intends to use the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani, a 60,000 seater stadium in the outskirts of the capital, and the 30,000 seater Nyayo National Stadium. Both have not hosted international football in close to three years.
Kasarani has been closed for the last year and a half, while Nyayo was closed three months ago for specific renovations recommended by CAF inspectors. The two stadia have not been able to host international matches due to deficiencies, that are currently being addressed.
With the kick off date approaching as well as a crucial inspection tour coming up, the country stares at the possibility of failing to meet set timelines.
There has been rumor that Rwanda has been put on standby in case Kenya fails to meet the deadlines, but the CAF representation in Nairobi has been categorical that they trust Kenya to deliver in time. Kenya has previously been stripped of hosting rights twice; the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which went to South Africa and the 2018 CHAN which went to Morocco.
In both cases, the host nations won the tournament.
Kenya will co-host the 2024 delayed CHAN with neighbors Uganda and Tanzania, the first time ever the tournament is held in three different countries.
Telecomasia.net spoke with Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Kipchumba Murkomen on the state of preparedness and his confidence on work being completed.
The Sports Minister has already constituted steering and Local Organizing Committees and he believes this is the perfect step towards pushing for readiness.
- How vital was it to have the LOC up and running as quick as possible?
- The LOC is extremely important because we needed to move with speed to ensure that we are up and running. When we met with CAF representatives a few weeks ago, it was one of the things that we discussed and it was important that we get it over the line.
- Why was there a delay in constituting it, in the first place?
- I had delayed in constituting the LOC because of the challenges we had with the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) elections. But, it reached a point where it was no longer tenable to delay and we had to gazette the LOC as soon as possible. It is our desire to make sure that the LOC supports the work that is already being done by the government to ensure that we are ready for CHAN.
- Work at the two facilities look way out of schedule. How are we going to ensure that everything is done on course?
- It’s true, we have a lot of work to do and that is why this LOC has a very huge responsibility. Even if it means working night and day, we have to meet the obligations that have been set. What we are going to do especially with Kasarani, is that we will complete the crucial aspects of the facility like the playing surface, dressing room and stands. There are other aspects of the stadium, part of the recommendations by CAF, that we might not finish now and do them later, but we can get alternatives, for example sound.
We have had meetings with the contractors and we have agreed that all of us are going to give a push for this thing to happen.
- Previously, there have been issues of financing which have stalled progress. How committed are you to ensure that these don’t arise again?
- We have a steering committee that has a representation from every arm of government, and the Sports Fund Board is also included. We are all aligned that we have to treat this as high priority and any funds that are needed will be availed for work to go on and be completed.
- What is the assurance that you give, in terms of Kenya being ready to host this mega tournament?
- I want to assure CAF, and I want to assure Kenyans, that we will be ready to host CHAN. We are putting everything in place, we are burning the midnight oil and mobilizing all resources to ensure that we host CHAN next year. The government is committed to ensuring that this happens.
- How much of support is CAF giving towards ensuring that this happens?
- I want to truly appreciate the positive support that we are receiving from CAF president (Patrice) Motsepe and his personal attention to Kenya. He is pushing us and assisting us to ensure that we host CHAN. I want to thank CAF for the effort and even sending a permanent representative here to stay with us and guide us. He is on our neck everyday, pushing us and trying to ensure that we will be ready.