Football

CS Ababu Namwamba expresses confidence in CHAN 2024 preparations

The construction of Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega is expected to be finished in good time for CHAN © Fernandes Barasa

By Michael Kirwa | Wednesday, March 20, 2024

The Cabinet Secretary also reitarated the government's plans to build two ultramodern stadia in Mombasa

Sports Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ababu Namwamba has expressed confidence in the country’s preparedness to co-host CHAN 2024 with East African neighbours Tanzania and Uganda.

CAF granted the three countries the rights to host the tournament in December last year as a dress rehearsal of the 2027 African Cup of Nations.

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As part of its preparation to host the biennial football tournament for African footballers plying their trade in their national league competitions, Kenya earmarked Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega as the stadium that will be used to host matches during the tournaments and has since closed the venue for renovation.

Trust the government to finish renovating/upgrading Bukhungu stadium in Kakamega by September for CHAN? pic.twitter.com/lMlg59FYbz
— Eric Njiru (@EricNjiiru) February 26, 2024

The closure of the Bukhungu Stadium for renovation signaled the Government’s commitment to ensuring the country has a venue ready to host matches when the tournament kicks off and CS Namwamba confirmed that preparations are in top gear despite there being no Local Organising Committee (LOC) constituted to oversee the plans for hosting the tournament.

“Preparing for an event is not about the LOC. The Ministry is fully in control of the developments. We are preparing well,” CS Namwamba told The Eastleigh Voice while speaking on the sidelines of the friendly match between Talanta Hela U19 and Harambee Stars U20 played at the Kasarani Annex on Tuesday 19 March, which the latter won 3-1.

CS Namwamba conceded that the lack of good facilities has hampered Kenya’s chances of hosting major tournaments in the past and that situation still remains a challenge which the Government hopes to navigate by having the Nyayo National Stadium on stand-by to host CHAN 2024 matches should the Bukhungu Stadium not be ready on time.

“The biggest challenge of course is that the country has not had very good facilities. Kasarani is closed for AFCON 2027. We will also have to close Nyayo next week for renovation because when the inspectors came, they wanted Nyayo to be on stand-by just in case Bukhungu Stadium is not ready on time,” CS Namwamba said.

Mombasa Municipal Stadium

Over the past two weeks, CS Namwamba has inspected several match venues in various stages of construction. These included tours to the construction sites of the Talanta Stadium along Ngong Road in Nairobi, Masinde Muliro Stadium in Bungoma, KPA Mbaraki Sports Club in Mombasa, and the Mombasa Municipal Stadium.

Speaking on the revival of the construction works at Mombasa Municipal Stadium after an 11-year hiatus, CS Namwamba termed the long stagnation of the stadium’s upgrading over a land case as “sad” and stated that the Ministry has told the County Government of Mombasa to sort out any outstanding issues.

“We have told the county Government of Mombasa to sort out any outstanding land issues at the Mombasa Municipal Stadium. What we have made clear is that we want good facilities in Mombasa. We will work on them to finish it (construction of the stadium),” CS Namwamba said.

“We are also looking at Shanzu where is there good level land for development,” the CS added about plans to construct another stadium in Mombasa County.