The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President, Nick Mwendwa, met with Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba on Monday to discuss the collaborative bid for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) before its scheduled submission on Wednesday. The meeting, held at the Ministry of Sports’ headquarters in Nairobi, was also attended by Sports Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke and FKF Secretary-General Barry Otieno.
In an unprecedented move, Kenya has joined forces with neighboring countries Tanzania and Uganda in a proposal named the “Pamoja” bid, which aims to bring the esteemed continental championship to the East Africa region for the first time in history.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has set a May 23 deadline for member associations to present their final bids, with Algeria, Botswana, and Egypt having already expressed interest in hosting the 2027 Afcon.
After the morning meeting, Ministry of Sports and FKF officials were expected to brief President William Ruto at State House in Nairobi on the joint bid. Dr. Ruto confirmed during a media address on Sunday night that the bid would be submitted on Wednesday.
As per CAF requirements, the bid documents must include a hosting agreement, hosting cities agreement, and government guarantees, all duly signed. Last week, CS Namwamba announced that each of the three nations had agreed to offer three stadiums for the event. Presently, Kenya and Uganda each have a CAF-approved stadium, while Tanzania’s only approved venue is the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
CAF mandates that host countries provide venues near an airport, level five hospital, and a five-star hotel. Furthermore, each location must be accompanied by at least three world-class training grounds. CAF has scheduled inspection visits from June 1 to July 15.
Kenya has previously been awarded and later stripped of hosting rights for the 1996 Afcon and the 2018 African Nation Championship (CHAN).