Kenya will meet all its obligations ahead of the African Cup of Nations tournament scheduled for 2027, the Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Salim Mvurya has told the Senate.

Appearing before the Senate Plenary on Wednesday to respond to questions from Lawmakers, CS Mvurya assured the House and Kenyans that the Government has put in place the necessary measures to ensure all requirements are met ahead of the tournament.

“As a Ministry, we are working very closely to ensure that we meet our financial and infrastructural compliance obligation. The facilities that will be used are Talanta, which is Raila Odinga International Stadium that is almost complete and Kasarani. Nyayo, Ulinzi, Police SACCO will be training grounds,” said the CS.

𝐼𝑛𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠

He stated that the Government is working on all recommendations raised by CAF following its visit to the country in February 2026 adding that the State will also ensure all financial obligations are met.

“Kenya is supposed to pay Ksh 3.9 billion, we are working with the National Treasury and the relevant Parliament Committee to make sure that we comply to the financial obligation,” revealed the CS.

𝑆𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝐾𝑖𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑢

Responding to a question by Sen. Prof Tom Ojienda SC (Kisumu) posed on his behalf by Sen. Beth Syengo, CS Mvurya said the Ministry has continued to actively support sports development initiatives in Kisumu County through infrastructure improvement, talent identification and youth empowerment programmes.

Among the key initiatives, he cited the rehabilitation and upgrading of major facilities such as Moi Stadium and Jomo Kenyatta Sports Ground to enhance their capacity to host major national events. He noted that the Ministry is working with the Ministry of Defence, which is already on the ground undertaking construction and rehabilitation works at the facilities.

The Ministry has also supported grassroots tournaments through capacity building for coaches and technical officials while strengthening collaboration with the County Government and sports federations to promote inclusive participation and position Kisumu as a regional hub for sports development.

𝑇𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑎 𝐻𝑒𝑙𝑎 𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑡

On the status of national government support, including funding for tournaments, clubs and community based programmes, the CS revealed that the Ministry organised the Talanta Hela Football Tournament through the Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) in collaboration with county governments.

He said the tournament was conducted in twelve regions across the country between August and December 2023.

The Nyanza North Region comprised Kisumu, Siaya and Homa Bay counties. Kisumu County’s boys’ and girls’ teams emerged top in their respective categories and progressed to the national finals held at Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi. The Kisumu boys’ team finished second and received a cash award of Ksh 3 million.

𝑇𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎

On the criteria used to identify and support sports clubs and tournaments at county level, the CS told the House that the identification of technical personnel and athletes for training and development programmes is undertaken through structured school sports systems coordinated in collaboration with the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) and the Kenya Primary and Junior Schools Sports Association (KPJSSA).

“Technical personnel, including coaches are nominated through these associations based on their active involvement in school sports programmes and their role in nurturing emerging talent at the grassroots level. Athletes are identified primarily during the national and regional competitions organised by the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association and the Kenya Primary and Junior Schools Sports Association which serve as key platforms for talent identification,” submitted the CS.

𝐸𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑦

On the mechanisms the Ministry will implement to ensure transparency, equity and sustainability in the allocation of sports development funds particularly to grassroots and youth driven clubs, CS Mvurya said the Ministry is supporting grassroots sports development through national federations, infrastructure development via Sports Kenya in collaboration with county governments and talent development through the Kenya Academy of Sports.

He added that the Ministry has undertaken several collaborative initiatives with the Kisumu County Government to strengthen sports infrastructure including the upgrade of Moi Stadium, Kisumu, which is being undertaken pursuant to a Presidential directive aimed at accelerating the development of key sports infrastructure across the country.

The CS revealed that the National Government has allocated Ksh 800 million for the modernisation of the facility into a 10,000-seater stadium.

𝑆𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑠

During the supplementary questions segment, Senators raised concerns over the criteria used to identify talent, arguing that the system discriminates against some regions, with certain counties appearing to be favoured.

They also cited delays and stalled construction of various stadia across the country.

In response, the Cabinet Secretary acknowledged disparities in talent identification but assured the House that the Ministry will roll out an affirmative action plan from April 2026 to address the concerns raised by Senators.