Kenya Staring at Loss of AFCON 2027 Hosting Rights Over Funding Crisis and Stadium Delays

Kenya is at serious risk of being stripped of its rights to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) due to significant funding shortfalls and construction delays, a top government official has warned.

Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi revealed on Thursday that the country has yet to pay its mandatory Ksh3.9 billion ($30 million) hosting fee to the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The payment is a crucial part of the joint East Africa Pamoja bid with Uganda and Tanzania.

Speaking before the National Assembly's Committee on Sports and Culture, Mwangi stressed the urgency of the situation, noting that both Uganda and Tanzania have already settled their financial obligations.

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Kenya now faces a tight deadline of March 30, 2026, to make the payment or risk damaging its credibility and losing the tournament.

"We have been given until the 30th of March to clear the payment of the hosting fees," Mwangi told the committee as quoted by Citizen Digital.

"The gains we have made in preparing for AFCON may be jeopardised if we are not able to raise Ksh3.9 billion by that date. The communications we have had from CAF are very particular that we must show commitment, and one of the commitments is payment of the hosting contribution."

The financial crisis is compounded by major setbacks in stadium renovations. Mwangi informed the MPs that both the Kasarani and Nyayo stadiums are unlikely to be ready within the six-month deadline set by CAF.

He explained that the contractor renovating Kasarani Stadium has significantly reduced its workforce due to an outstanding government debt of over KSh3.7 billion.

The situation at Nyayo Stadium is even more dire, with the contractor abandoning the site entirely over an unpaid bill exceeding Ksh2.6 billion.

"At Kasarani Stadium, we owe the contractor in excess of Ksh3.7 billion, and they have scaled back their workforce. With that, we feel we may not be ready within the six months," Mwangi stated.

"Similarly, at Nyayo, we have not paid over Ksh2.6 billion... and the contractor has already vacated the site. Therefore, we have nothing to show."

This alarming news comes just a month after the same parliamentary committee rejected a proposal from the Sports Ministry to increase its AFCON budget allocation.

The ministry had sought to raise the budget from Ksh3.5 billion to Ksh5 billion, arguing it was necessary to meet the high standards observed during the recent tournament in Morocco.

Despite turning down the budget increase, the committee had pledged to help the ministry secure the necessary hosting fee from the National Treasury.

However, with deadlines looming and contractors walking away, Kenya's dream of hosting Africa's most prestigious football tournament hangs precariously in the balance.