MPs reject proposal to increase AFCON budget

The National Assembly Committee on Sports and Culture Thursday rejected a proposal by the Sports Ministry to increase its budget allocation for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

This is even as it emerged that Kenya is yet to pay the mandatory Ksh.3.5 billion hosting fee to secure its role in the continental tournament.

The National Assembly Committee on Sports and Culture chaired by Webuye West MP Dan Wanyama dismissed the Ministry’s request to raise the hosting budget from Ksh.3.5 billion to Ksh.5 billion terming the justification inadequate.

“In fact, you should be cutting down your budget because the championship is being hosted by three states. Your push for an enhanced allocation should not be based on a country that single-handedly hosted AFCON,” Wanyama said.

The committee’s firm stance came as the Principal Secretary for Sports Elijah Mwangi disclosed that Kenya has not remitted the Ksh.3.5 billion required by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) due to lack of funds.

Kenya is set to co-host the 2027 tournament alongside Uganda and Tanzania under the Pamoja Bid.

According to the PS, the two partner states have already complied with CAF’s payment requirements.

“Uganda and Tanzania, who are our co-hosts, have already complied by paying the required fee to secure the hosting rights,” Mr. Mwangi told the committee during deliberations on the 2026 Budget Policy Statement.

The Sports Ministry had sought the committee’s intervention to have the Ksh.3.5 billion included in a supplementary budget to enable Kenya meet its obligations and avoid jeopardising its standing with CAF.

In defending the proposed budget increment, Mwangi said he had led a delegation, including officials from Football Kenya, on a benchmarking visit during the last AFCON tournament in Morocco.

“We established that for Kenya to match the standards set during the competition in Morocco, we must enhance the budget,” he said.

However, MPs maintained that Kenya’s financial commitment must reflect the shared nature of the tournament.

He insisted that co-hosting with two other countries should ease the fiscal burden.

Despite rejecting the proposed increment, the committee assured the Ministry of its support in engaging the National Treasury to release the required hosting fee.

According to the Budget Policy Statement, the proposed ceiling for the Sports Department in the 2026/27 financial year stands at Ksh.25.49 billion, comprising Ksh.7.38 billion for recurrent expenditure and Ksh.18.11 billion for development.

The session also exposed funding pressures in other dockets under the Ministry.

The Principal Secretary for Culture, Arts and Heritage Ms. Ummi Bashir told MPs that her department requires Ksh.5.7 billion for recurrent expenditure but has been allocated Ksh.2.8 billion.

“As a result of the underfunding, many earmarked projects have stalled or failed to take off,” she said when she appeared before the committee alongside Cabinet Secretary Hanna Cheptumo.

Yatta MP Robert Basil questioned the allocation of Ksh.37 million to facilitate the President’s county visits during cultural events.

The PS told the Committee that the amount has been revised to Ksh.23.6 million.

He argued that the Office of the President is already funded for such engagements.

“The Office of the President is allocated funds for such activities. Why do you budget for the same? This amounts to duplication,” Basil said.

Lawmakers further scrutinised the Ksh.145 million allocation under the Creative Economy docket for development of the Creative Economy Policy, the Creative Economy Bill, and amendments to the Copyright Bill.

Principal Secretary for Creative Economy Jacobs Fikirini defended the allocation saying it would facilitate drafting of regulations, stakeholder engagement and public participation.

PS Fikirini also disclosed that the sector had proposed Ksh.2.891 billion for implementation of the Film Services Programme in the 2026/27 financial year but was allocated Ksh.848.17 million, leaving a shortfall of Ksh.2.043 billion.