A Confederation of African Football (CAF) delegation led by newly confirmed General Secretary Samson Adamu has visited Kenya to assess the country’s preparedness to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Uganda and Tanzania.
The delegation arrived in Nairobi on November 2, 2026, with inspections focusing on two key facilities: Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, and the newly constructed Raila Odinga International Stadium at Talanta Sports City.
The visit comes as Kenya intensifies preparations for the continental showpiece, with infrastructure development and operational readiness forming a critical part of the country’s commitments to CAF.
At Kasarani, the delegation assessed the ongoing renovations work which is in its final stages, with attention shifting to interior installations and systems testing.
The facelift, being undertaken under the management of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), has seen the stadium’s capacity adjusted from 60,000 to 48,064 in line with modern international standards.
Major upgrades include the reconstruction of the main playing surface with hybrid grass, an automated drainage system, six VIP skyboxes and improved player changing and medical facilities.
The second stop was the 60,000-seater Raila Odinga International Stadium at Talanta Sports City, a flagship infrastructure project expected to become one of the main venues for the 2027 tournament.
At Talanta Sports City, which has crossed the 95 per cent completion mark, contractors are concentrating on final installations and operational testing ahead of its scheduled official opening on January 5, 2027.
The project, being undertaken by China Road and Bridge Corporation in collaboration with the Kenya Defence Forces, features 52 luxury skyboxes, a modern media centre, broadcasting infrastructure, fibre connectivity and upgraded public address systems.
Technical teams are also completing work on the hybrid GrassMaster playing surface, while testing of VAR and goal-line technology, access control, ticketing and emergency evacuation systems forms part of the final preparations.
Following the stadium tour, Adamu held discussions with Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya at Talanta Plaza. Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi, who received the CAF delegation, also accompanied the officials during the inspection.
Mvurya said Adamu had expressed satisfaction with the progress made in Kenya’s AFCON preparations, while the discussions resulted in an agreement for government and CAF technical teams to jointly undertake comprehensive testing of critical tournament operations.
The planned exercises will cover ticketing, security, transport, evacuation, procurement, immigration and broadcasting systems. According to Mwangi, the move marks a transition from infrastructure development to operational readiness, with the aim of identifying and addressing any gaps before the tournament.
The government is also looking towards January 5, 2027, when the Raila Odinga International Stadium is scheduled to be officially opened with an exhibition match between German giants Bayern Munich and Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam.
The high-profile fixture is expected to serve as a major dress rehearsal, allowing Kenya and CAF to test stadium facilities and match-day operations ahead of the continental competition.
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will jointly host the 36th edition of AFCON from June 19 to July 17, 2027. It will be the first time three nations share hosting responsibilities for the tournament.
For Kenya, the latest inspection provides another opportunity to demonstrate progress on its infrastructure commitments as attention increasingly shifts towards ensuring that the facilities and supporting systems are ready to meet CAF’s requirements.
