Kenya’s Erick Ouma (right) plays against Zimbabwe in their 2025 Afcon qualifier in South Africa on November 15, 2024.
The National Assembly’s Committee on Sports and Culture has raised concerns over the Treasury’s failure to allocate funds for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals hosting rights fees in the 2025/26 budget estimates.
At the same time, the Committee, which is chaired by Webuye West MP Dan Wanyama, has recommended an increase in funding allocations for the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK), the Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS), and the Sports Registrar.
However, a boost in funding for these critical sectors is unlikely in the financial year starting July 1, as the Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC) has ruled out the possibility of allocating additional funding to Ministries.
The Treasury has set the 2025/26 overall budget at Sh3.36 trillion, with Sh18.59 billion allocated to the State Department for Sports. Kenya is scheduled to co-host the 2027 Afcon with Uganda and Tanzania.
The three countries are each required to pay the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Sh3.9 billion as hosting rights fees for the tournament by April 2026.
However, not a single cent has been allocated for this in the Treasury’s budget estimates for the upcoming financial year, drawing concerns from the National Assembly’s Committee on Sports and Culture.
“That Kenya is scheduled to host Afcon 2027 alongside Tanzania and Uganda. However, there is no provision in the proposed annual estimates for payment of hosting rights for Afcon 2027 amounting to Sh3.9 billion (USD 30 million), which should be paid by April 2026,” observed the committee.
The MPs have directed their concerns and recommendations for additional funding for the department to the BAC.
However, BAC Chairman Samuel Atandi has ruled out any possibility of increased allocations to ministries.
“We as a committee will operate under a tight situation given the huge budget deficit,” said Atandi on Thursday.
“The room for manoeuvre is not there. Requests for additional funding from the MDAs (Ministries, Departments, and Agencies) are a no-go zone for us,” he added.
In its submission to the National Assembly’s Committee on Sports and Culture on Monday, the Ministry of Sports, led by Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, emphasised that the funds are critical in finalising Kenya’s role as co-host of the 2027 Afcon.
“Kenya is scheduled to host Afcon 2027 alongside Uganda and Tanzania. The hosting agreements for Afcon 2027 have been drafted and require signing, along with the settlement of Sh3.9 billion.
Kenya is obligated to pay the hosting rights fee by April 2026. This amount has not been provided in the FY 2025/26 Budget Estimates,” lamented the Ministry of Sports.
Kenya has, since August 2023, been preparing to co-host the 2027 Afcon and the delayed 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan) scheduled for August 2 to 30.
Kenya is refurbishing several venues for the two tournaments, including Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, Nyayo National Stadium, Ulinzi Sports Complex, and Police Sacco Stadium.
For the 2027 Afcon, Kenya is also building the 60,000-capacity Talanta Sports City along Nairobi’s Ngong Road.
The Sh18.59 billion allocation to the State Department for Sports is an increase of Sh780.65 million from the provision to the sector in the ending financial year.
Development expenditure will take the lion’s share of the budget at Sh17.1 billion, while Sh1.49 billion will be channelled to recurrent expenditure.
While the provision for ADAK increased by Sh24.97 million in the budget estimates—bringing the total allocation to Sh235.23 million from the Sh210.26 million proposed in the 2025 Budget Policy Statement—the MPs have asked the BAC to allocate an additional Sh75 million to the agency.
Other areas where the Ministry of Sports had sought the Committee’s support for additional funding include operations and maintenance (Sh350 million), payment of rent arrears (Sh105.2 million), KAS (Sh372 million), and Sports Kenya (Sh144 million).
This request was prompted by the low amounts allocated to the sectors in the 2025/26 budget estimates as follows: Sh314 million for operations and maintenance, Sh194 million to KAS, and Sh401.86 million to Sports Kenya.
