Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga says the government should seize the opportunity to host the 2027 African Cup of Nations to improve Kenya’s sports facilities.
Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania were chosen to host Africa’s premier football competition as part of the Pamoja Bid, and Odinga, a sports enthusiast, believes the government should capitalise on the momentum.
At the same time, he stated that Kisumu and Kakamega should have been considered as potential venues for the continental showpiece.
“Uganda has chosen Kampala, Hoima and Lira while Tanzania has chosen Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Arusha. Now for Kenya this is an opportunity for the government to improve sports facilities around the country. We already have two fairly good facilities; Kasarani and Nyayo stadiums in Nairobi, so in my view the government should have selected Kisumu and Kakamega in order to improve facilities there because as you know the centre of gravity of soccer in our country is western Kenya,” said Raila.
Kenya has earmarked 60,000-capacity Kasarani Stadium, 30,000-capacity Nyayo Stadium, and Kipchoge Keino Stadium for the competition, with Talanta Stadium also set to be built in time for the event.
“Pamoja Bid” presented a variety of stadiums set to be deployed for the tournament, meeting the tournament’s minimum requirement of nine venues.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarded Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania the prestigious responsibility of hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) through the ‘East Africa Pamoja Bid’.
CAF requires that each venue be near an airport, a level-five hospital, and a five-star hotel.
