Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya has expressed confidence in Kenya’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), saying work at the Raila Odinga International Stadium and its supporting facilities is progressing on schedule.
Mvurya spoke on Tuesday after officially handing over two training pitches to the Ministry of Defence for immediate construction at the Talanta Sports City complex.
The move brings the total number of specialised training grounds at the facility to three, all of which are expected to serve teams during AFCON 2027 before being converted for football, rugby and athletics training after the tournament.
During the inspection and handover exercise, the CS said the country was making steady progress in its preparations for the continental competition.
“Generally from this visit, I am very happy with the progress that has happened in the Raila Odinga International Stadium and, as we gear up for AFCON 2027, I want to confirm to Kenyans that we are in good progress. Away from having paid the hosting fee, we have now seriously embarked on preparing our infrastructure,” Mvurya said.
The 60,000-seater stadium is currently 91 per cent complete, with the remaining works largely involving mechanical and electrical installations, turf management and other finishing touches.
Mvurya noted that the newly handed-over training grounds are expected to be completed within two months.
“I have now handed over the training grounds, two of them that will be used during AFCON. In this area we will have three training grounds that will be used for AFCON 2027 and the two training grounds that we have handed over will be taking about two months to complete,” he said.
The CS added that the playing surface at the main stadium was developing well and would continue to be monitored to ensure it meets Confederation of African Football (CAF) standards.
“Now the bulk of the work is on mechanical and electrical. We have monitored also the pitch and the grass has come out well and our team will continue to make sure the germination and that standard of the pitch complies with CAF requirements,” he said.
According to Mvurya, CAF has already deployed a technical officer to Nairobi to monitor the preparations and provide regular reports on the progress being made.
“We also have a technical officer from CAF who is here in Nairobi and they will be working on a daily basis to look at the parts of preparation, monitor progress and give me a report so that we can make decisions,” he said.
Beyond the stadium and training grounds, the government is also undertaking complementary infrastructure projects around the sports complex, including roads, rail connectivity and perimeter works.
“There is work beyond the stadium and right now we are working on other public works. The roads are already being scoped, the rail has been done, and the perimeter wall. By the end of July, the main works inside the stadium and part of the auxiliary works should have been completed,” Mvurya said.
The developments come a day after President William Ruto, while assenting to the Finance Bill 2026, announced that KSh26.4 billion had been allocated towards the completion of 39 sports facilities, preparations for AFCON 2027 and support for sports development programmes across the country.
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will jointly host AFCON 2027, marking the first time the tournament will be staged in East Africa.
