All fears surrounding Kenya’s preparedness to host the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) in August can now be put to rest, following Tuesday’s pronouncements by Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports Salim Mvurya.The Sports CS, appearing before the Parliamentary Departmental Committee on Sport at the Bunge Towers, confirmed that Kenya had settled its Ksh1.6 billion hosting fee to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), giving the country the green light to stage the championships.The State Department for Sports has already made payments to CAF for CHAN hosting fee of 1.6Billion.We’re ready for AFCON & CHAN 2025@moyasa_ke @GokSportsDept pic.twitter.com/qiiKIrYtnh— H.E Salim_Mvurya, EGH. (@Waziri_Mvurya) April 8, 2025 A report of the 2024/25 Supplementary Estimates submitted by the State Department of Sports in mid-March cited budgetary constraints, which had led to a delay of the hosting fee payment.In their submission to the National Assembly’s Committee on Sports and Culture, the State Department of Sports stated that their tight fiscal space for the Sports, Arts, and Social Development Fund (SASDF) was “due to the prioritization of CHAN and AFCON infrastructure development, including the renovations of Kasarani, Nyayo, and Kipchoge Keino stadiums.”Kenya yet to pay Ksh1.6 billion CHAN hosting fee to CAFAnd having pleaded for the hosting fee to take first priority, given that the deadline was on 3 April – it so seems that their wish was granted in due time, clearing one major hurdle jeopardizing the home championships.Mvurya, deliberating on the country’s preparedness for CHAN, also mentioned that construction of all sports infrastructure was on course, having “unlocked the stalemates surrounding our stadiums and still doing so with haste.”“I personally have a weekly schedule to visit our stadias,” CS Mvurya told the committee.##NAJAVA_MECA_8831572##Two stadia – Nyayo and Kasarani – have been earmarked to play host to the CHAN tournament and are still undergoing renovations.A recent spot-check by Mozzart Sport revealed that the roofing on Kasarani Stadium had been completed, following the successful installation of a canopy all around the arena.Kasarani Stadium roof complete in latest update ahead of CHAN [VIDEO]Kenya, who will co-host the championships alongside neighboring Uganda and Tanzania, has been placed in Group A, alongside Morocco, DR Congo, Angola, and Zambia.
