By Aoma Keziah,
Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, the Creative Economy and Sports, Salim Mvurya, handed over the Nyayo National Stadium and nearby training grounds to the Local Organizing Committee. He was joined by the Cabinet Secretary for Defence, Soipan Tuya, at the handover event in Nairobi, as Kenya Prepares to host the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN)
“Renovations at the stadium have been underway for several months to meet the requirements set by the Confederation of African Football. Workers have improved the playing surface, repaired seats, upgraded the floodlights and installed better security measures. The changing rooms and other player facilities have also been given a facelift to make sure they are ready for visiting teams,” said Mvurya.
The Sports CS further stated that the refurbished stadium shows Kenya’s commitment to growing local talent and welcoming visitors from across the continent. He praised the teams involved in the project for staying on schedule and urged the Local Organizing Committee to keep up the momentum as the tournament draws near.
Nyayo Stadium will be one of the main venues for CHAN matches, several training fields in Nairobi have also been prepared to support the event. The government hopes that hosting this championship will encourage more young people to take part in sports and give a boost to businesses around the stadium.
“It is worth noting that after past failed attempts to meet the Confederation of African Football (CAF) hosting rights standards in 1996 and in 2018, its the first time that Kenya gets to host these continental events since independence,” remarked Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Defence, Soipan Tuya.
Final checks and rehearsals will take place in the coming weeks to make sure everything works as planned when teams and fans arrive. With the handover complete, the spotlight now shifts to the Local Organizing Committee to deliver a smooth event when the games kick off.
Mt Kenya Times