Kenya risks losing 2027 AFCON co-hosting rights over Ksh3.9 billion fee
Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 19.03.26. | 18:48
The latest concerns come just weeks after the parliamentary committee rejected a proposal by the Sports Ministry to increase its AFCON budget from Ksh3.5 billion to Ksh5 billion.
Kenya’s role as a co-host of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is under serious threat following delays in remitting the required hosting fee to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
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Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi on Thursday warned that failure to pay the Ksh3.9 billion ($30 million) contribution by the Monday, 30 March deadline could jeopardise the country’s place in the joint ‘East Africa Pamoja’ bid alongside Uganda and Tanzania.
Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Sports and Culture, chaired by Webuye West MP Dan Wanyama, Mwangi revealed that Kenya is the only partner yet to honour its financial commitment, with both Uganda and Tanzania having already paid their shares.
“We have been given until March 30 to clear the payment of the hosting fees. We are aware that our ‘Pamoja’ countries of Uganda and Tanzania have paid, but Kenya is yet to pay its share of about Kshh3.9 billion.
The gains that we have so far made in preparations for AFCON may be jeopardised if we are not able to raise the money by the deadline.
CAF has been very clear that we must show commitment, and one of those commitments is payment of the hosting contribution. If we fail, then our hosting will be jeopardised,” Mwangi told MPs.
Beyond the financial concerns, Mwangi raised alarm over the slow pace of infrastructure development, which he warned that key facilities risk missing CAF timelines.
He disclosed that both the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani and Nyayo National Stadium are unlikely to be ready within the next six months due to outstanding payments owed to contractors.
“For Kasarani Stadium, we owe the contractor in excess of Ksh3.7 billion. The contractor has realigned and reduced his workforce, and with that, we may not be ready within six months, the deadline given by CAF to have competition and training venues ready.
Equally, on Nyayo, we have not paid in excess of Ksh2.6 billion to the contractor, let alone additional works such as putting up a canopy. The contractor has already vacated the site. Therefore, we have nothing to show,” he added.
The latest concerns come just weeks after the parliamentary committee rejected a proposal by the Sports Ministry to increase its AFCON budget from Ksh3.5 billion to Ksh5 billion.
The ministry had sought to include the additional funds in a supplementary budget to help Kenya meet its obligations and maintain credibility with CAF.
In his earlier defence, Mwangi pointed to lessons from a benchmarking visit to Morocco during the last AFCON tournament, where he travelled alongside officials from the Football Kenya Federation (FKF).
“We established that for Kenya to match the standards set during the competition in Morocco, we must enhance the budget,” he said on Thursday, 19 February.
However, MPs maintained that Kenya’s financial burden should be moderated, given that the tournament will be co-hosted with Uganda and Tanzania.
Even so, the committee expressed willingness to support the ministry in engaging the National Treasury to release the funds required to secure Kenya’s hosting status.
According to the Budget Policy Statement, the Sports Department has been allocated a proposed ceiling of Ksh25.49 billion for the 2026/27 financial year, with Ksh7.38 billion earmarked for recurrent expenditure and Ksh18.11 billion set aside for development.