President William Ruto on Monday assured Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’ o that Kisumu City will host some of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations matches.
Speaking during the launch of Uhuru II vessel at the Kisumu Shipyard pier, Ruto said the tournament will be spread across the country.
“We should agree on how we are going to host all the tournaments that we have starting from Afcon to Cecafa and all the others and to spread all the facilities across Kenya,” Ruto said.
He added, “I know Governor Anyang Nyong’o is on record as making his position known as to where is the place of Kisumu in hosting this facility. I want to confirm to you professor that we have taken into account the place of Kisumu in hosting at least some of the tournaments that we have spread across the country.”
The government had initially proposed the tournament’s games to be played at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani and Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi, and the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret in Uasin Gishu.
However, Governor Nyong’o and his Kakamega counterpart Ferdinand Barasa in a joint statement chided the government for proposing games to be played in Uasin Gishu county.
The two governors opined that some of the matches should have been taken to the western region saying it is a bedrock of football talent and best placed to host the games.
“The decision by the UDA government may be denying the Western region the opportunity to host the games because we are not shareholders in the Kenya Kwanza Company Limited,” the statement read in part.
Kenya in September won the bid to host the 2027 AFCON tournament together with Tanzania and Uganda.
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