Cabinet Secretary for Sports Kipchumba Murkomen insists that Kenya will co-host the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN) despite time running out to fulfill infrastructure requirements.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) recently made an inspection of the facilities in the country and was disappointed to discover that work on the Kasarani and Nyayo Stadiums are behind schedule.
CAF has given Kenya until December 31 to ensure the stadiums meet international standards, and Murkomen is confident that the government will beat the deadline.
He did, however, admit that proposing two venues for the tournament presented a greater challenge than was anticipated, with the Kasarani Stadium requiring a complete overhaul.
“We are definitely hosting CHAN from February 1 to February 28, 2025. The schedule and team allocations are yet to be finalised, but we are burning the midnight oil to ensure our facilities are ready. Contractors have assured us they will do everything humanly possible to beat the deadline,” Murkomen told NTV.
“In hindsight, offering two stadiums was a mistake. Even Uganda and Tanzania, with CAF-qualified stadia, only offered one each. For us, Kasarani’s contract was awarded in May this year, involving a massive overhaul. The pressure since then has been immense.”
