Is Nyayo Stadium really fit to host Mashemeji Derby with 2024 CHAN on the horizon?

Harambee Stars fans cheer their team during the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers match against Gabon at Nyayo Stadium on March 23, 2025. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

The latest chapter of the biggest game in Kenya is finally here with us.

AFC Leopards welcome eternal rivals and league winners Gor Mahia at the popular Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi in a rearranged FKF Premier League fixture.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) postponed the original match planned for March 1 citing the inability of the designated home team to secure a suitable venue for the match.

"Nyayo National Stadium and MISC Kasarani, the primary venues for such high-profile fixtures, remain unavailable due to ongoing renovations in preparation for the CHAN tournament set for August," a statement from the federation announcing the postponement dated February 27 read in part.

Fans will get another taste of the fierce Mashemeji Derby in a week, with Gor set to host Leopards exactly a week later (April 6) at a yet to be confirmed venue.

While the prospect of back-to-back Mashemeji derbies in seven days is enough to whet the appetite of any football lover within and outside the country's borders; the threat of fan violence during the fixture has always cast a dark cloud over the game.

The decision then, to allow the match to continue at Nyayo, a stadium that only recently got CAF approval to host international matches only last month after almost seven years of renovations, is baffling to some.

Last weekend (March 22), the first international match in four years at the stadium saw rowdy fans break the VIP Gate 8 as the venue over-filled to its 30,000-seater capacity as Harambee Stars fell 2-1 to Gabon in a 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier. The skirmishes witnessed Peter Salasya, a Member of Parliament (MP) from Western Kenya, the bedrock of Leopards support, assaulted by goons. Gor enjoys a huge fanatical following from Nyanza.

Mumias East MP Peter Salasya escorted to safety by a police officer after being attacked by goons during the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers match between Kenya and Gabon at Nyayo Stadium on March 23, 2025. [Courtesy]

Inflammatory statements--- which we cannot reproduce here--- posted by the said MP and shared widely on social media platforms have threatened retaliation in the week leading to the derby.

And the other side of the divide has hit back, daring the MP and his perceived followers to carry out the threat on Sunday as tensions flare.

It comes amid heightened political temperatures in the two regions due to the recent 'handshake government' deal between President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

While the majority of fans have set social media ablaze in anticipation of Sunday's derby, with both sides trolling each other and promising a beating of their opponents on the pitch, the danger of things getting out of hand is real.

And it could cost Kenya the chance of co-hosting the delayed 2024 Africa Home Nations Championship (CHAN) finals alongside Tanzania and Uganda, with kick-off scheduled for August 2.

Speaking on Thursday, the chairman of the Kenya LOC for 2024 CHAN and 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, Nicholas Musonye allayed fears hosting the Mashemeji Derby at Nyayo was risking the country's chances of hosting the continental event.

"Nyayo needs test matches of such a high caliber ahead of CHAN. We have made it very clear to both teams that no violence will be condoned," Musonye told Standard Sports.

"Both teams know the consequences of any violence and together with the new federation, we condemn all manner of violence."

According to the long-serving football administrator, a robust security plan is in place to deal with any outbreak of violence and any team that violates the law will be sanctioned heavily.

On being pressed on the likelihood of matters boiling over despite the well laid plans as it has happened before at the same venue, Musonye urged fans to maintain law and order.

Kenya's Chan/Afcon LOC chairman Nicholas Musonye (second right) takes Samson Adam, Caf's Tournaments and Events Director (right) and other members through an inspection visit at Kasarani Stadium on February 22, 2025. [Chan/Afcon LOC]

CAF banned Nyayo and Kasarani from hosting international matches in October 2021 after failing to meet the required standards.

And earlier in September 2010, world governing body Fifa expressed concern over the security of Nyayo and ordered its capacity to be reduced from 30,000 to 18,000 when it banned the stadium from hosting World Cup qualifiers.

This came after Fifa registered dissatisfaction at the over capacity of the stadium with some fans hanging on rooftops in the matches between Harambee Stars versus Guinea, Zimbabwe and Tunisia.

But tragically, the warning was never heeded.

On October 9 that year, Stars played archrivals Uganda Cranes at Nyayo with minor scuffles.

And worse was to come barely a fortnight later (October 24) when seven fans died in a stampede when Gor hosted Leopards in a Mashemeji Derby at the venue.

Since then, a number of stadium bans have been slapped on Nyayo and its capacity reduced to 15,000 but clearly, this was not observed last weekend when Stars played Gabon.

According to FKF, 19,880 fans will be allowed to purchase tickets to today's Mashemeji Derby (VVIP/80, VIP/1,800 fans and Terraces/18,000 fans).

And with Kasarani the only other venue cleared to host CHAN, the country will hold its collective breath that nothing goes wrong at Nyayo today.

-The writer is the Line Producer, Sports at CGTN Africa