Sports Kenya on when Nyayo, Kasarani stadia will be allowed for use by FKFPL clubs before CHAN 2024, AFCON 2027

Sports Kenya has revealed when both Harambee Stars and FKFPL clubs will be allowed to use Nyayo and Kasarani Stadia once renovations are completed before commencement of CHAN 2024 in August.

Sports Kenya has remained non-committal over  whether local teams, including FKF Premier League clubs  will be granted access to the refurbished Nyayo & Kasarani stadia before the African Nations Championship  (CHAN) 2024, which will take place in August.

The lack of sufficient venues has already disrupted Kenyan football. This season, the first leg of the highly anticipated Nairobi Derby between Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards could not be played due to the unavailability of a suitable venue.

 With no concrete updates, it remains unclear when this fixture will be rescheduled. There has been an overreliance on Dandora Stadium in Nairobi, given other venues like the Ulinzi Sports Complex as well as Police Sacco Stadium have also been closed for renovations, as they will be used as training venues for the 2024 CHAN.

(function (v, d, o, ai) {
ai = d.createElement(‘script’);
ai.defer = true;
ai.async = true;
ai.src = v.location.protocol + o;
d.head.appendChild(ai);
})(window, document, ‘//a.vdo.ai/core/v-pulsesports-co-ke-v0/vdo.ai.js’);

Acting Director General, Sports Kenya Gabriel Komora has refused to give a guarantee whether teams will be allowed to use both Kasarani & Nyayo stadia before the tournament.

  “We understand that many teams do not have stadiums, but no decision has been made to allow them to use the facilities before CHAN,” he noted to Mozzart Sport. “It is not something that can be decided by one office, so we shall consult and determine the best way forward.”

Sources close to Sports Kenya, however, suggested that there is reluctance to allow any teams to use the venues before the tournament due to concerns over potential vandalism.

Meanwhile, Komora  moved to dispel fears of any slowdown in ongoing renovations following the postponement of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024.

A tour of the now-approved Nyayo National Stadium that will be used for CHAN 2024, including the installed lights, dressing room renovations and the status of the playing surface.

 Initially scheduled for February, the tournament was pushed to August due to incomplete facilities and other logistical hurdles.

Gabriel Komora, the Acting Director General of Sports Kenya, assured that work on the stadiums is progressing at the same pace despite the change in schedule. 

He emphasised that preparations were already geared towards Kenya’s bid for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals, with CHAN being a secondary concern.

“Our focus was actually on the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations finals, and CHAN just came in as a by-the-way,” Komora explained,

 “We will continue as planned, and the postponement has even given us more time to complete some work ahead of schedule.”

Komora highlighted the roof at Kasarani Stadium as one of the key projects now expected to be completed before the rescheduled CHAN tournament in August. 

“Initially, we were to play CHAN with an incomplete roof, but with the postponement, we will ensure it is finished. When the tournament takes place, the stadium will be ready,” he said.

The acting director general further revealed that imported equipment for the stadium upgrades will also now have adequate time to be utilised.