‘Let People Be Jailed’ - AFCON 2027 Boss Proposes Solution for Stadium Vandals

With Kenya set to spend billions on stadiums ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, fears of the facilities being vandalised remain real.

Already, the Talanta Stadium, which is nearing completion, will cost nearly Ksh45 billion while Kasarani and Nyayo are set to close for renovations that could cost over Ksh1 billion.

However, over the years, Kenyan stadiums have witnessed ugly incidents where rowdy fans destroy key amenities with things like seats uprooted, doors and windows shattered and other facilities defaced.

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This is not just witnessed during football tournaments but also in political and entertainment events that are hosted at the stadium but the culprits go unpunished with clubs and event organisers bearing the cost.

However, Kenya’s 2027 AFCON Organising Committee chairman Nicholas Musonye wants focus turned on the very individuals who destroy the stadium facilities as he feels there are mechanisms that can be employed to stop them.

“Kasarani was badly vandalised when we lost the former Prime Minister [Raila Odinga],” Musonye said on Sporty FM. “Two months after the government spent a lot of money repairing the facility for CHAN 2024, seats were torn apart and toilets uprooted.”

“It is only in this country where people do vandalism and get away with it. It is very unfortunate because the CCTVs are installed. There should be punishment to make people realise that these are government facilities. Let us not destroy them, because we need them tomorrow,” the former CECAFA Secretary General further stated.

Musonye feels the culture of impunity where people destroy government facilities and get away with it needs to be checked otherwise the country could be spending more billions to repair vandalised stadiums ahead of AFCON 2027.

With most of the AFCON facilities required to be ready six months before the tournament and test matches held at the venues, the risk of further destruction is there, and that is why Musonye wants severe punishment to deter stadium vandals.

“Talanta should not be destroyed; facilities at the stadium are expensive,” added Musonye. “We must be responsible and protect our venues. I urge the government to be very strict on this matter, disciplining people who are found vandalising these facilities, as they are expensive. Let people be jailed for one or two years for vandalism.”