Kenya Parliament Rejects AFCON The Kenya National Assembly Sports and Culture Committee has rejected a proposal to increase Kenya’s budget for hosting the AFCON 2027, dealing a fresh blow to the country’s tournament preparations.
The committee declined a request by the Ministry of Sports to raise the AFCON 2027 budget from Ksh3.5 billion to Ksh5 billion, citing accountability concerns and unresolved financial commitments.
This comes at a time when Kenya is yet to submit the mandatory Ksh3.5 billion AFCON hosting fee, a key requirement set by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ahead of the 2027 tournament.
Appearing before the committee, Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi told MPs that additional funding was necessary to meet CAF’s strict infrastructure, security and organisational standards. He warned that the current allocation may be insufficient to fully prepare venues and supporting facilities.
However, lawmakers questioned why the ministry was seeking more funds before clearing the hosting fee and asked for clearer justification on how the extra money would be spent. The committee subsequently voted to block the proposed budget increase.
The decision now puts pressure on the Sports Ministry to either rework its AFCON 2027 financing plan or seek alternative funding sources, as Kenya races against time to meet CAF deadlines and maintain confidence in its ability to successfully co-host the tournament.
With AFCON 2027 preparations under the spotlight, the budget stalemate is expected to spark further debate on Kenya’s readiness and commitment to delivering a world-class continental football event.
