CHAN 2024 LOC Chairman Reveals Further Planned Upgrades to Kasarani Stadium for AFCON 2027

The chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), Nicholas Musonye, has revealed a series of ongoing and future upgrades to Nairobi’s Kasarani Stadium as Kenya gears up to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Uganda and Tanzania.

Speaking ahead of CHAN 2024, Musonye outlined the transformations made to the stadium and additional improvements planned after the tournament to meet CAF standards for AFCON.

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“We have planted new grass which meets the standard required for playing football,” Musonye said as quoted by Nation Sports, adding that the Bermuda grass currently on the pitch will be replaced with a fresh planting after the CHAN tournament.

Musonye confirmed that the Bermuda grass on Kasarani's playing surface was only planted six months ago and hasn't matured fully.

Though suitable for CHAN matches, it will be uprooted after the tournament and replaced to ensure optimal playing quality by AFCON 2027, where it will join Nyayo Stadium to compliment the under-construction 60,000-seater Talanta Stadium.

“The grass we have planted has not had time to mature properly… after the tournament, we will uproot it and replant it so that by the time AFCON 2027 comes, the surface will be of top-notch quality.”

To complement the pitch, an artificial turf now surrounds the playing area. However, Musonye clarified that this too is a temporary feature, covering a running track that had worn out.

“After CHAN, the artificial turf will be removed and the new running track will be installed,” he said.

The restoration of the running track will return Kasarani to its status as a multi-purpose sports complex, suitable not only for football but for athletics as well.

A key transformation ahead of CHAN is the installation of a new canopy covering all seating areas.

This canopy is fitted with floodlights that meet CAF’s 1,200 LUX standard, ensuring adequate lighting for night matches.

Kasarani has also been converted into an all-seater stadium, reducing its previous capacity from 60,000 to 48,000.

The move, according to Musonye, is aimed at ensuring comfort and controlling crowd numbers, especially considering that the venue once hosted up to 100,000 people during the 1987 All Africa Games final.

In another major shift, every seat in the stadium is now numbered, enabling streamlined ticketing and better crowd management.

A new media tribune and a large digital screen have also been installed to enhance broadcast and fan experience.

The VVIP and VIP sections have received major facelifts.

“One section of the VIP will be reserved for exclusive use by CAF while the other will be used by the government to allocate seats to cabinet secretaries, permanent secretaries, and other high-ranking officials,” Musonye stated.