Kenya: DAY 1 of the inaugural AFCON’27 E.A Pamoja Inter-States meeting saw various facets reviewed, from the state of infrastructure, stadia, hotels, commuter options, communication systems, safety, security, and medical care, with key deliverables in sight.
Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa reminded the delegation of key AFCON guarantees and prerequisites, among them being at least 6 stadia across the region, with tier one options having a capacity of at least 40,000 and the other tiers at 20,000-seater capacities on the minimum.
On the other hand, the Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) President Rogers Byamukama assured that Uganda was on course in her preparations, with stadia rehabilitation at advanced stages in readiness for the AFCON extravaganza.
While addressing the delegation, PS Tum noted that never has Kenya been prepared to host such a continental showpiece as it is today, assuring the team of structural systems to govern the ongoing preparations with various appraisal stages.
“We are setting up competitive teams to steer key thematic areas that will deliver the goal of hosting a memorable AFCON ’27,” he remarked.
Tanzania’s PS Gerson Msigwa urged the EA Community to convey a message of unity and readiness, noting that media stakeholders would be key in relaying the optimism.
CS Ababu Namwamba appreciated the various stakeholders, consulting partners, and the delegation from the member states acknowledging the forum as an opportunity to celebrate, by any metric, the momentous victory.
Quoting President Nelson Mandela’s sentiments of the uniting power of sports, the CS retorted, “We are delighted to take this opportunity to advance our Jumuiya Integration to take East Africa to the next level. EA is ready to give the continent and the world a unique experience.
AFCON’27 is critical in strengthening our bonds towards unlocking our potential, from cross-border trade, streamlined flights, tourism, investment, and so much more. This is the time to actualize the East Africa Tourism Visa,” he quipped.
CS Ababu rallied the delegates to utilize the opportunity to foster talent development & build formidable national teams. “It will be fulfilling to have the 3 East African team play in this tournament. Let’s get ready to support our teams from as early as today,” he said.
The CS gave an assurance that the Kenyan team was very much on track, imploring the media to equally take the opportunity to showcase the best of East Africa.
“Kenya is more than ready. This is the time to rally together to actualize the vision of one united region,” he asserted.