Both Nyayo Stadium and the Ulinzi Sports Complex will be used as the venues for the 2024 CHAN following a visit by the CAF stadia Inspection comitee according to Sports Permanent Secretary Peter Tum.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports, and the Arts Permanent Secretary Peter Tum has announced that the Ulinzi Sports Complex will be one of the venues for the 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN), which will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Tum made this revelation following an inspection by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stadia committee, which assessed the progress of stadium renovations in Kenya.
The CAF inspection committee's visit was part of the preparations for Kenya's role in co-hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. In Kenya, the Kasarani Stadium and Talanta Sports City are earmarked as the main venues for the tournament.
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Speaking to the media on Monday, Tum, who is currently overseeing the sports docket on an interim basis while President William Ruto reconstitutes his cabinet, provided updates on Kenya’s readiness to host CHAN and other international tournaments.
This comes after the dismissal of the previous cabinet, including former Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba.
Tum disclosed that despite Nyayo Stadium not meeting CAF standards for the upcoming Preliminary Champions League and Confederation Cup matches, it will still be used. Gor Mahia and Kenya Police are set to represent the country in these tournaments.
“CHAN is already taken care of. This field we are standing on, Nyayo Stadium will be ready in a month’s time. We only have two weeks for them to complete,” Tum assured.
“We will add Ulinzi Sports Complex as the training ground for the referees because that is what they [inspection committee] told us, as well as a playing ground for CHAN.”
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Tum has assured Kenyans that the necessary preparations for CHAN are on track and the facilities will be ready in time.
“We did an inspection of what is to be expected and I can assure you that even if that tournament was to be hosted within a month or two, we are quite ready.
“As a country, we are prepared and I am confident that in the next two weeks, the contractor that is here will have finished the preparations for the purposes of CHAN.”
However, the exact dates for the tournament remain uncertain. Initially scheduled for September 2024, CAF has yet to confirm the dates following their last committee meeting in Cairo, Egypt, in June.
“I am not sure the tournament will be there next month because they are looking at the logistical issues to be able to ensure they give us a very good date,” Tum added.