Kenya pays US$30m to CAF to lock in 2027 AFCON co-host role

Kenya has cleared a major administrative and financial hurdle for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations after remitting a US$30m hosting commitment fee to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), officials said on March 31.The payment had become a focal point for concerns over Kenya’s readiness to co-host the tournament with Uganda and Tanzania, with local reporting in recent weeks highlighting uncertainty around whether the fee would be settled by CAF’s timelines.Sports cabinet secretary Salim Mvurya said: “This payment reaffirms Kenya’s credibility, readiness, and unwavering commitment to delivering a successful continental tournament.”Kenyan officials said the focus now shifts to delivery against CAF’s infrastructure and event-operation standards, including stadium upgrades, training facilities and transport and logistics planning across host cities.Mvurya said preparations included “fast-tracked construction and upgrading of match venues, training facilities, transport and logistics systems, as well as safety, security and broadcast standards”, underlining the breadth of work required to stage the tournament at scale.The hosting model for 2027 is expected to place added emphasis on cross-border coordination across the three countries, from team travel and accreditation to fan movement, commercial activations and matchday security planning.Regional organisers have also discussed streamlined visa and logistics arrangements to support tournament operations, reflecting the practical requirements of running a multi-nation event across East Africa.CAF has been pushing hosts to provide greater certainty earlier in the cycle, in part to support sponsor and broadcaster planning and to de-risk delivery timelines for venue works and wider infrastructure projects.The tournament is the first AFCON to be staged across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, with the co-hosting award positioned by CAF as a strategic play to accelerate investment in football infrastructure and event capability in the region.