Musonye sets the record straight on CHAN ticket hoarding claims

Nicholas Musonye, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) [Stafford Ondego, Standard] Nicholas Musonye, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), has cleared the air on the alleged hoarding of tickets that locked out football fans from watching Kenya play DR Congo in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) on Sunday. There was an uproar from Kenyans who claimed to have been denied entry into the Kasarani stadium despite purchasing tickets. According to Musonye, most of the victims had banked on last-minute ticket purchases but were left out after tickets were sold out early due to the high demand. "Our people like doing things at the last minute. By the time we were closing ticket sales, we had already moved between 45,000 to 46,000 tickets. So when some fans turned up late expecting to buy or collect tickets at the gate, there was nothing left," he said. He was quick to point out that ticketing was managed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) through their own platform not by the local organisers. "CAF is the one that sold the tickets online. We just facilitated it. We asked fans to buy early and avoid the last-minute rush. Some people even claimed others were hoarding tickets to resell at higher prices, but when I personally investigated, it wasn't true," he emphasized. Musonye dismissed claims of black-market ticket sales as "madness" , further vowing action on proven claims. Further he said that the turnout for the match was impressive adding that the safe capacity of the stadium was reduced to 48,000, from 60,000, after the pre-tournament renovations. "People think Kasarani still holds 66,000, but that's no longer the case. Due to new configurations, the certified maximum capacity is now 48,000 and even then, you can't fill it 100 percent for safety reasons. You have to leave some breathing space," Musonye clarified. The LOC says it is now better prepared ahead of Thursday's upcoming CHAN fixture between Kenya and Angola. As of Monday morning, over 25,000 tickets had already been sold online for the match. "All tickets have been sold out four days before the match. That's how it should be," he said. "We open the gates six hours before the match to allow for smooth entry and avoid congestion." He revealed that on the previous match day, many fans arrived late, leading to fears of a possible stampede at the gates. "Sometimes when fans try to buy tickets online, they get messages like 'cleaning up the seats' or 'tickets coming soon.' We're going to clear this with CAF and have precise information available before, during, and after each match." Another flashpoint has been the drama around the VIP and VVIP areas at the stadium. Musonye explained that post-renovation, these areas now have much more limited seating capacity. "The VVIP area used to hold 100, but now it only holds 60. The VIP section can't carry more than 200 people," he explained. With 22 cabinet secretaries, numerous principal secretaries, and a long list of civil servants, accommodating all the top brass has become a logistical nightmare. To complicate matters further, CAF officials also occupy half of the VIP section, further shrinking available space. Despite the frustrations and ticket hiccups, Musonye remains optimistic. He believes the passion witnessed at Kasarani is a sign that Kenya is returning to serious football, and the youth are at the heart of it. "Football belongs to the youth, and they showed up. We want this culture to continue. We're fixing things, and we're learning as we go," he said.

Musonye sets the record straight on CHAN ticket hoarding claims

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Musonye sets the record straight on CHAN ticket hoarding claims

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