Kenya: Sick child of East African football falls behind regional peers

“My impression as I leave is confidence because I trust President (William) Ruto. There is still a lot of work to be done, but I trust him (Ruto) because he is a man of his word,” Caf President Patrice Motsepe said in Nairobi on September 16, prompting a round of laughter from sports journalists attending the press conference.

Motsepe was in Nairobi to assess Kenya’s progress in getting stadiums ready to co-host the delayed 2024 CHAN, which had been planned for September.

He also inspected progress of work at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, at Nyayo National Stadium, and at Talanta Sports City, three venues that Kenya has ear-marked for co-hosting the 2027 Afcon with Uganda and Tanzania. Motsepe said he would be back in the country in December to monitor progress.

Ugandan fans of English Premier League giants Manchester United are expected to gather in large numbers at Mandela National Stadium in Kampala on October 15, to watch the club’s Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana live in action against Harambee Stars in a Group ‘J’ match of 2025 Afcon qualifiers, at the expense of the Red Devils fans in Kenya.

Harambee Stars will ‘host’ the ‘Indomitable Lions’ for the return leg of that 2025 Afcon Group “J” qualifier match in Kampala since Kenya currently has no stadium that meets Fifa and Caf’s standards for hosting international matches.

Given the warm reception that the 28-year-old goalkeeper received in Cameroon’s 0-0 draw against Zimbabwe at the same stadium on September 10, Onana will most likely be accorded a similar treatment against Kenya.

“Thank you for the warm welcome. I would like to spend more time with all of you. See you next month (October) in Uganda,” the former Ajax and Inter Milan custodian posted on X on September 11.

Some Manchester United supporters in Nairobi faulted Uganda “for taking what is rightfully Kenya’s.”

“Onana is a star and watching him live is a golden opportunity. Sadly, we (Kenya) have sunk so low that now even Uganda is taking what is rightfully ours,” Man U diehard Collins Mara lamented.

“I am not a Man U supporter but I wouldn’t have missed an opportunity to watch Onana play in Nairobi, just like I did not miss the match (Caf Champions League) between Gor Mahia and Al Ahly at Nyayo National Stadium (on September 15),” Harambee Stars fan Rodney Kimaru says.

Harambee Stars hosting their home matches in Uganda is a big embarrassment to Kenya, which takes pride in being an economic powerhouse in East Africa. On April 23, estimates showed that Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had grown to $108.9 billion (Sh15.14 trillion) in 2023, as per the exchange rate at the time.

Tanzania followed as the third largest economy in eastern Africa with a GDP of $79.44 billion, followed by the DRC ($67.3 billion), and Uganda ($51.8 billion). Rwanda’s GDP was estimated at $14.02 billion, and Burundi’s $4.2 billion.

But in sharp contrast, while Kenya doesn’t have even a single Caf-accredited stadium, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda each had two arenas approved by the continental football governing body to host the first and second preliminary rounds of the 2024/25 interclub competitions.

Apart from the 42,000-seater Mandela National Stadium, Uganda has 15,000-seater St Mary’s Stadium-Kitende. Tanzania has 60,000-seater Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium and 10,000-seater Azam Complex Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Amahoro Stadium (45,000-seater) and Kigali Pele Stadium (22,000-seater) in Kigali are the arenas approved by Caf in Rwanda. It was only after Caf relaxed the requirements for stadiums to qualify to host 2024/25 Africa Interclub competitions that Kenyan football teams Gor Mahia and Kenya Police were able to stage their home matches of the championships at Nyayo National Stadium.

Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat has on many occasions lamented over lack of proper football venues in Kenya, and blamed the team’s struggles on this.

Speaking after Harambee Stars defeated Namibia 2-1 in their second match of the 2025 Afcon qualifiers at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg on September 10, Firat said Kenya is among the countries in Africa with the worst football conditions.

“I can clearly say that the conditions (in Kenya) are one of the weakest in Africa and they (Harambee Stars players) do everything so there should not be this blah! Blah! Blah!,” Firat retorted in the face of criticism about the team’s poor performances.

Earlier, Firat and his Zimbabwean counterpart Michael Nees from Germany termed Mandela National Stadium “one of the best football facilities in the continent.”

“The conditions here (Mandela National Stadium) are good and superb. We can only dream of such in Kenya. I see Uganda are ready for Afcon. We (Kenya) are very far from this,” Firat said.

The Turk added that while Uganda and Tanzania have made great strides in improving their football infrastructure, nothing has changed in Kenya since his appointment as the team’s coach on September 19, 2021.

Nees said: “The conditions are extremely good. I’m sure this (the outside pitch at Mandela National Stadium) is one of the best training pitches in Africa.”

Refurbished for four years by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces Engineering Brigade to the tune of 97 billion Ugandan shillings (Sh3.3 billion), Mandela National Stadium is a sight to behold.

The playing surface at both the outside pitch and the main ground is smooth and European-class, and there is enough sitting space between the glittering seats painted in the colours of the Ugandan flag.

Four spacious dressing rooms, luxurious coaches rooms, ice baths, showers, and toilets are among the other major developments undertaken at the facility.

The Amahoro Stadium, which was renovated for two years to the tune of Sh 21 billion is a state-of-the-art facility.

Apart from the stadium being home to football, rugby, and athletics, it has four dressing rooms, officials’ dressing rooms, a doping control center, VIP restaurants and bars, 21 VIP skyboxes, 156 press seats with desks, and 102 wheelchair spaces among other major developments.

Kenyans can only hope that they will match Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda when the refurbishment of the 60,000-seater Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani, 30,000-seater Nyayo National Stadium and the construction of 60,000-seater Talanta Sports City in Langata Constituency are complete.

Kasarani and Nyayo have been previously refurbishments to the tune of millions of shillings, only for Caf to declare them unfit to host international matches due to shoddy work.

With no single stadium meeting the standards set to host international matches, Kenya is lagging behind in their preparations to co-host the delayed 2024 African Nations Championships (Chan) and 2027 Afcon with neighbours Uganda and Tanzania.

To host a successful 2024 Chan from February 1 to 28 next year, the three countries are required to avail at least one world-class stadium, while for the 36th Afcon edition, they must each present three venues of the same standards.

The three nations must also present a world-class training facilities near the stadiums.

In the ‘East Africa Pamoja Bid Afcon 2027’, Kenya presented Kasarani, Nyayo, and Talanta Sports City as key match venues .

The ongoing refurbishment Kasarani should be complete in November while construction of Talanta Sports City should be over by December 2025.

Both President William Ruto and Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen have reassured Motsepe that the country will be ready to host the two major football tournaments.

“I have had a conversation with my two colleagues, Yoweri Museveni and Samia Suluhu and we are all aligned in making sure that both events, we give you the best possible support to make sure that it happens,” Ruto when Motsepe paid a courtesy call on him at State House, Nairobi, this month.

Kenya was awarded hosting rights for 1996 Afcon and 2018 CHAN, which the country later lost due to ill preparations.

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