Kenya has reaffirmed its preparedness to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), even as internal wrangles within the football leadership cast a shadow over the country’s ambitious plans.
Appearing before the Departmental Committee on Sports and Culture chaired by Dan Wanyama, Hussein Mohammed, President of the Football Kenya Federation, assured lawmakers that preparations are firmly on course and aligned with the expectations of the Confederation of African Football.
“I am pleased to report that Kenya’s preparations for the 2027 AFCON are in excellent shape, proceeding on schedule and fully aligned with CAF’s requirements and expectations,” said Mohammed.
Kenya is set to co-host the continental showpiece alongside regional neighbours Tanzania and Uganda a historic opportunity that marks East Africa’s return to hosting Africa’s biggest football tournament for the first time in decades.
The tournament is expected to significantly boost infrastructure development, tourism, and regional integration. Mohammed told the Committee that key frameworks required for hosting the tournament have already been put in place, including infrastructure upgrades, operational planning, and coordination with co-host nations.
“Kenya is ready. Our infrastructure is on track, our Local Organising Committee is operational, our Hosting Agreement is executed, and our planning is fully integrated with our co-hosts,” he said.
On medical preparedness, the FKF boss noted that Kenya has met CAF’s stringent requirements, particularly in emergency response systems.
He explained that a comprehensive contingency framework has been developed to handle both medical and security incidents during the tournament.
“Kenya’s emergency medical services framework for AFCON 2027 meets CAF’s mandatory standards,” he said.
“We have fully developed a CAF-certified contingency management framework integrating government emergency services, CAF protocols, and venue operations into a single, tested response architecture.”
Despite the optimism, Members of Parliament raised concerns over persistent internal disputes within FKF, warning that the wrangles could undermine Kenya’s credibility on the continental stage.
In response, Mohammed sought to downplay the impact of the disagreements, reaffirming the federation’s commitment to delivering a successful tournament.
“Kenya will host AFCON 2027 with honour, with excellence, and with full support of all institutions of government, football, and civil society. FKF, under my leadership, is fully committed to that outcome,” he stated.
However, the concerns were amplified in a separate session with the FKF National Executive Committee (NEC), led by Vice President McDonald Mariga.
The NEC cited issues including alleged mismanagement of public funds, lack of transparency, irregular insurance arrangements for CHAN 2024, and questionable charter flight procurements.
According to documents tabled before the Committee, there were claims of direct authorisation of payments amounting to Sh42.7 million to an unlicensed entity allegations that have intensified calls for accountability within the federation.
The NEC recommended that conflicted officials step aside to allow independent investigations and restore public confidence. Committee Chair Wanyama underscored the seriousness of the issues, calling for a joint session between FKF and NEC officials.
“These are weighty issues. We need a serious convergence to interrogate these issues,” he said.
