Kenya: Respite in Sight? Government Plans to Renovate Four Stadia Ahead of Afcon 2027
Nairobi — Sports Kenya have issued a tender notice calling for interested contractors to rehabilitate four stadia in Nairobi and Eldoret as Kenya waits for the answer to its bid for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations which it wants to co-host with Uganda and Tanzania.
In an advert in today’s dailies, the body tasked with construction and maintenance of sports infrastructures wants to rehabilitate the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani, Kasarani Annex, Nyayo Stadium and Kipchoge Keino in Eldoret.
Interested bidders have until the 17th of next month to presented their bids with the venues expected to be closed during the period of repairs.
The country’s state of stadia has been a talking point in the sports sector as it struggles to host various international footballing events, including the 2018 CHAN, which was moved elsewhere after Kenya failed to prepare its facilities in time.
The dilapidated state of the stadia has also affected FKF Premier League champions Gor Mahia and domestic cup champions Kakamega Homeboyz who will have to source for alternative venues to host continental matches next season.
This is after the continental governing body for the sport, CAF, issued guidelines that effectively ruled out any of the country’s stadiums from hosting continental-level competitions.
Nyayo Stadium was reopened in 2020 after three years of renovation.
On the other hand, the Kasarani Stadium was reopened in 2018 after a year of rehabilitation before briefly shut down in 2020 for repairs on the drainage.
