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The seven-nation championship, organized by the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), was originally set to commence on June 24, before it was rescheduled for Thursday, June 29.
The upcoming CECAFA U18 Women's Championship, scheduled to be held in Nairobi, is now hanging in the balance following the withdrawal of Tanzania and the imminent withdrawal of Uganda.
The seven-nation championship, organized by the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), was originally set to commence on June 24, before it was rescheduled for Thursday, June 29.
Uganda is said to be contemplating pulling out of the tournament over a lack of proper communication over the tournament from the event organisers CECAFA.
The Uganda players have been in camp at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru, but concerns were raised about the viability of proceeding.
A source speaking on condition of anonymity has disclosed that Ugandan players have been dismissed from camp.
Some players have returned to their clubs, including the Kampala Queens squad, who are preparing for the upcoming Champions League qualifiers.
A squad of 35 players majority of whom were part of the U17 team that played in the FIFA U17 World Cup Qualifiers last year started preparations two weeks ago under head coach Ayub Khalifah.
The recent developments have cast doubt on the feasibility of the tournament, with Tanzania confirming that they have disbanded their team.
"We dismissed the students to go back to school,” Tanzania coach Bakari Shime said.
“We received information from CECAFA through our General Secretary that the competition has been postponed till an unknown date. We had no choice but to release the students," he added.
Ethiopia, Burundi, Rwanda, Zanzibar, and the host country Kenya had all confirmed their participation in the championship.
The Football Federation Federation (FKF) Media and Communications Officer, Kenn Okaka, confirmed that all the players named in the Kenyan provisional squad are currently in camp.
However, it remains unclear how the tournament will proceed with only five participating nations.
The Kenyan coach, Beldine Odemba, had previously appealed to the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) to adjust the Term Two Games calendar, allowing the young players a chance to showcase their talent in the tournament.
As of June 24, only 30 out of the 44 players called up had reported to camp under Odemba's guidance.
Efforts to obtain information from CECAFA General Secretary Auka Gecheo regarding the situation have been unsuccessful, as he has not responded to inquiries.
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