Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya has urged the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and the Harambee Stars technical bench to come up with a detailed preparation plan aimed at helping Kenya compete for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title.

Mvurya said Kenya should look beyond successfully staging the continental tournament and instead take advantage of playing on home soil to mount a serious challenge for the trophy.

Speaking on Tuesday after meeting the AFCON 2027 Local organizing committee, chaired by Nicholas Musonye, the CS said Harambee Stars must be adequately prepared to progress deep into the competition.

“We are not just hosting the Africa Cup of Nations, we have to win. Therefore, the Football Kenya Federation and the technical team of Harambee Stars will equally be looking at their roadmap,” Mvurya said.

He added that the preparation programme should give the national team the best possible chance of advancing through the knockout stages and eventually competing for the championship.

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Government Promises Support for Harambee Stars

Mvurya said the government would work closely with FKF and the Harambee Stars technical team to ensure the national side receives the necessary support ahead of the tournament.

He also called for a coordinated government approach involving ministries and state agencies whose participation will be crucial in ensuring Kenya is adequately prepared to host the event.

“We will be mobilizing on a whole-of-government approach to bring on board ministries and agencies of government that have a role to play in making AFCON a very successful and memorable event for Kenya,” he said.

Kenya is preparing for its first appearance at the AFCON finals since 2019.

Harambee Stars have been placed in Group D of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers alongside South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea. However, Kenya already has an automatic place at the tournament as one of the co-hosts.

CAF has scheduled the qualifying matches between September 2026 and March 2027.

AFCON Stadium Preparations Gather Pace

Mvurya also provided an update on preparations of venues expected to be used during the tournament.

He said the 60,000 capacity Raila Odinga International Stadium at Talanta Sports City had reached about 94% completion as of last week.

The stadium’s main playing surface has already been installed, while two associated training facilities are reportedly around 50% and 40% complete.

The government expects the stadium to be ready for use by November.

Kasarani and Nyayo stadiums are also part of Kenya’s AFCON infrastructure programme, with upgrades being undertaken to ensure the venues and surrounding training facilities meet CAF standards.

Mvurya has previously identified Ulinzi and Police SACCO grounds among the facilities expected to serve as training venues during the tournament.

Kenya will jointly host AFCON 2027 alongside Uganda and Tanzania, making it the first edition of the continental competition to be staged across three countries.

The tournament is scheduled to take place from June 19 to July 17, 2027,bringing AFCON back to East Africa for the first time since Ethiopia hosted the competition in 1976.

Mvurya expresses confidence that Kenya has the capacity to stage a successful tournament but stressed that success should also be measured by Harambee Stars’ performance on the pitch.

With less than a year before the competition, the government’s message is that Kenya should not settle for being a good host – the national team should also prepare to challenge Africa’s best for the title.