Nine months to AFCON 2027: is Kenya ready?
CAF inspectors have toured Talanta and Kasarani as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania race to finish their stadiums.
Key points
- Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, branded Pamoja 2027, from 19 June to 17 July 2027.
- A CAF report in February 2026 found none of Kenya's proposed stadiums yet fully met Category 4 standards; the new 60,000-seat Talanta Stadium's completion had slipped to July.
- A CAF delegation began an eight-day inspection of the three hosts in Nairobi on 26 August 2026, with full readiness targeted for January 2027.
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations from 19 June to 17 July 2027, under the banner "Pamoja 2027". It will be the first AFCON in East Africa in more than 50 years. With nine months to go, the race is on to get the stadiums ready.
The venues
Kenya's designated match venues are the new Talanta Stadium in Nairobi, planned to seat 60,000, and the 48,000-seat Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. The Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret is being built as an alternative venue. Uganda's main venue is the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, and Tanzania's is the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
A warning from CAF
A CAF report in February 2026 found that none of Kenya's proposed stadiums yet fully met CAF's top Category 4 standard, Citizen Digital reported. The report said:
- Talanta was the only venue built to meet the standard from the start, but its completion had slipped from March to July.
- Kasarani needed a new pitch, modern floodlights, better security systems and improved media facilities.
- The ageing Nyayo National Stadium should be used mainly for training.
- Across the venues there were gaps in spectator circulation, safety systems, lighting, backup power and team and media facilities.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya said preparations remained on track, and that the government was working to pay Kenya's Ksh 3.9 billion hosting fee.
The August inspection
A CAF delegation arrived in Nairobi on 26 August 2026 for an eight-day inspection of all three host countries. It covered stadiums, training grounds, hotels, airports, security, transport and media arrangements. CAF is targeting full operational readiness by January 2027.
The three hosts have done this before on a smaller scale: they jointly staged CHAN 2024, the championship for home-based players, and their officials studied Morocco's operations at AFCON 2025.
What is at stake
Hosting AFCON is a chance to showcase East Africa and leave behind modern sports infrastructure. In September, Kenya also promoted Eldoret, home of the alternative Kipchoge Keino venue, as a sporting and tourism destination during UN Tourism Week.
The deadline is fixed. Whether all the stadiums are ready in time will be one of the biggest sports stories in the region over the coming months.
Sources
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