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Sports CS Salim Mvurya has hit back at reports claiming Kenya lost the right to host some Group D matches of the upcoming CHAN 2024.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya has cleared the air over the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to have some group D matches hosted in Zanzibar, with reports circulating around that the decision was made following Kenya’s lack of readiness.
Last week, a report claimed that CAF withdrew Kenya’s hosting rights for CHAN 2024 Group D due to a lack of adequate training facilities.
Kenya had pledged to provide six training grounds and one additional pitch for referees. However, only Ulinzi Sports Complex, Kenya Police Sacco grounds, and two pitches at Kasarani were ready or close to completion.
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Kirigiti Stadium had also been earmarked as a training venue, but the ground will not be ready on time.
As a result, Group D matches involving Senegal, Congo, Sudan, and Nigeria were moved to Zanzibar.
This sparked heated discussions amongst interested parties, which has prompted Mvurya to clear the air over the situation
Speaking after a tour of Kasarani Stadium on Monday, where the government officially handed the stadium over to the CHAN Local Organising Commitee, Mvurya made it clear that there had been no formal communication assigning Group D to Kenya.
“There was no prior communication on which countries would host specific groups. So, when I saw someone claiming that Kenya had lost to Zanzibar, that simply wasn't true,” he said.
Mvurya added that the decision on group allocations was only made recently, not reversed or withdrawn from Kenya as some reports had claimed.
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Zanzibar Hosting Not a Loss to Kenya
The CS dismissed comparisons between Kenya and Zanzibar, calling them misplaced and misleading.
“It’s merely the imagination of a few people who want to portray Kenya as a loser. Kenya hasn’t lost anything,” Mvurya stated.
He insisted that Kenya remains a central figure in the tournament, with the CAF headquarters for CHAN 2024 set up in Nairobi and top-level CAF officials expected to be based in the country throughout the event.
Facilities, Hotels, and Final Preparations
Despite some earlier delays in delivering training grounds, Mvurya noted that Kenya has made significant strides and will still play a major role in hosting.
“We have eight high-end hotels ready to host delegations, and all major infrastructure is now in place,” he said.
While some venues like Kirigiti Stadium won’t be completed in time, key facilities such as Ulinzi Complex, Kenya Police Sacco grounds, and two pitches at Kasarani are either ready or nearing completion.
Addressing concerns over funding, Mvurya admitted that there were resourcing challenges but assured the public that all critical commitments to CAF have been met.
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“We’ve already paid the hosting fee and agreed on responsibilities with the three local organizing committees in East Africa. There is no cause for alarm,” he said.
With infrastructure largely finalized, the government’s focus is turning toward preparing the national team and organizing test matches.
“Today’s focus was on infrastructure, which we’ve now handed over. From tomorrow, we begin focusing on the teams and related logistics,” Mvurya concluded.
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