Senators question Kasarani Stadium’s readiness for AFCON 2027

The Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare, chaired by West Pokot Senator Julius Murgor, raised the concerns on Wednesday during an inspection of the facility to assess progress on renovation works ahead of the December 31 handover deadline.

The committee questioned the pace of construction and called for improvements to ensure the stadium meets the requirements for hosting Africa’s premier football tournament.

Nominated Senator Crystal Asige called for sustainable accessibility measures to enable persons living with disabilities to access and use the facility comfortably.

Kajiado Senator Seki Lenku also raised concerns over fire safety after Nairobi City County officials revealed that fire hydrants at the stadium had no water during a previous inspection.

The project team, led by Major Daniel Makana, briefed the committee on the ongoing works and assured the senators that the facility would be completed within the stipulated timelines.

The concerns come as Kenya intensifies preparations to co-host AFCON 2027 alongside Uganda and Tanzania.

Kasarani, which has a seating capacity of 48,000, is among Kenya’s designated tournament venues alongside the 60,000-seater Raila Odinga International Stadium, also known as Talanta Sports City.

However, the stadiums must meet the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Category Four requirements before receiving final approval to host tournament matches.

The standards cover pitch quality, drainage, floodlighting, dressing rooms, spectator safety, accessibility, media facilities and match-day operations.

CAF's initial assessment in February 2026 found that none of the proposed venues across the three host nations had met all the required standards, prompting further inspections to assess progress.

In September, Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi said a subsequent CAF inspection had returned encouraging results, although he clarified that the findings did not amount to final certification of the facilities.

With the December 31 handover deadline approaching, the senators' concerns place renewed focus on whether Kasarani will be ready to meet CAF's requirements in time for the continental tournament.