Kenya gears up for major football tournaments with strategic preparations

By Robert Mutasi

Government is putting more efforts into hosting two major football events on the African calendar: CHAN 2025 and AFCON 2027.

While speaking on Monday,November 18, 2024, CS Kipchumba Murkomen reassured the government of its commitment to ensuring the country is in position for the global limelight.

"We are leaving no stone unturned in preparing Kenya to host these tournaments," CS Murkomen said.

He pointed out how relevant ministries were working in tandem to ensure that Kenya meets the high requirements expected from hosting such tournaments.

This comes after CS Murkomen met with Defence CS Soipan Tuya at the headquarters of the Ministry of Defence earlier in the day in a strategic meeting to review progress in the country.

They discussed infrastructure upgrades and the strategic measures to ensure these tournaments are successful.

Murkomen said, "We are encouraged by progress at the construction of Talanta Sports City and the ongoing renovations at Moi Sports Centre Kasarani and Nyayo Stadium."

By upgrading these facilities to the lofty standards set by the Confederation of African Football and FIFA, Kenya demonstrates its ambition to host world-class tournaments.

Talanta Sports City has so far been one of the headline sport development projects in Kenya, envisioned to offer a sports complex with state-of-art facilities not only for football but other disciplines.

Meanwhile, major renovations went into Kasarani and Nyayo stadiums, which have historically hosted high-profile sports events, to bring them up to international standards in terms of capacity, security, and technology.

Hosting CHAN and AFCON will go a long way in boosting Kenya's profile on the international stage and is expected to have a trickling effect on the local economy, especially for sectors such as tourism, hospitality, and transport.

CS Murkomen emphasized the aspect of collaboration, pointing out that success would entail the involvement of all stakeholders, ranging from government agencies through private investors to the wider Kenyan community.

As the countdown to CHAN 2025 gets underway, Kenya is lining itself up as a formidable host with an ambitious desire to deliver not just successful tournaments but a legacy in sports infrastructures and national pride.