The government has officially closed Kasarani, Nyayo and Kipchoge Keino stadiums.
The gov’t says the move is aimed at renovating the stadiums ahead of the joint 2027 AFCON bid.
The closure was announced by the Sports and youth affairs cabinet secretary Ababu Namwamba after he visited the stadiums when handing them over to the military who will lead the renovations.
”We are doing this because of time, we are extremely pressed for time. We must beat very strict deadlines in delivery. We are also doing this because we want discipline and efficiency, top tier discipline and efficiency. We want precision and we believe that the ministry of defence ticks all those boxes,” he said.
The renovations are meant to make the stadiums fifa certified to host the 2027 Afcon games alongside Uganda and Tanzania.
“We want to send a message to the Confederation of African Football that the East Africa Pamoja bid is a strong bid. Tanzania is ready, Uganda is ready and Kenya is ready. In terms of readiness we have given a deadline of 2025 to complete these facilities.”
The East African nations expressed interest to bring the continental showpiece to the region after the Kenyan government approved the cabinet proposal back in December 2022.
The closure however complicates matters for national teams Harambee Stars and Harambee Starlets, who could be forced to play World Cup and Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers outside the country with Nyayo and Kasarani closed.