Now Reading: AFCON: Why MPs Rejected Plea to Increase Budget from Sh3.5B to Sh5B
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AFCON: Why MPs Rejected Plea to Increase Budget from Sh3.5B to Sh5B
Kenya’s lawmakers shot down the Sports Ministry’s plea to hike the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) budget from Sh3.5 billion to Sh5 billion, citing weak justification and arguing that costs should be lower because the tournament will be co-hosted with Uganda and Tanzania.
The National Assembly Committee on Sports and Culture, chaired by Dan Wanyama, dismissed the request by the Sports Ministry during deliberations on the 2026 Budget Policy Statement, arguing that Kenya’s financial commitment should reflect the shared nature of the tournament.
Kenya is co-hosting AFCON 2027 alongside Uganda and Tanzania under the Pamoja bid.
“In fact, you should be cutting down your budget because the championship is being hosted by three states,” Wanyama told officials. “Your push for an enhanced allocation should not be based on a country that single-handedly hosted AFCON.”
The decision comes amid concern that Kenya has yet to remit the mandatory Sh3.5 billion hosting fee required by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to secure its hosting rights.
Appearing before the committee, Elijah Mwangi acknowledged the delay, attributing it to financial constraints.
“Uganda and Tanzania, who are our co-hosts, have already complied by paying the required fee to secure the hosting rights,” Mwangi said, warning that delays could raise questions about Kenya’s readiness.
The Sports Ministry had sought a supplementary allocation to cover the CAF fee and support preparations, including stadium upgrades and operational costs.
Mwangi defended the proposed increase, saying a benchmarking visit to the last AFCON in Morocco showed Kenya would need additional funding to meet tournament standards.
“We established that for Kenya to match the standards set during the competition in Morocco, we must enhance the budget,” he said.
However, the lawmakers were unconvinced.
Several MPs stressed that co-hosting should lower Kenya’s overall cost burden and questioned why the ministry was benchmarking against a single-host model.
While rejecting the increase, the committee assured the ministry of support in engaging the National Treasury to release the Sh3.5 billion hosting fee to avoid jeopardising Kenya’s standing with CAF.
The budget debate comes as pressure mounts across the sports docket.
According to the Budget Policy Statement, the proposed ceiling for the Sports Department in the 2026/27 financial year stands at Sh25.49 billion, comprising Sh7.38 billion for recurrent expenditure and Sh18.11 billion for development projects.
Officials warned that funding gaps could delay critical infrastructure works tied to AFCON readiness.
Meanwhile, CAF inspection teams, working alongside the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and ministry officials, have been assessing Kenyan venues and training facilities, including Kasarani, Nyayo, and the planned Talanta Sports City complex, to gauge readiness.
CAF has previously stripped Kenya of hosting rights for missing deadlines, heightening concern over the implications of non-payment.
Failure to remit the required amount within CAF timelines could expose the country to sanctions or a reduction of its hosting role, with matches potentially reassigned to partner states.
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