Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda joint bid expected to b...

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda joint bid expected to bring AFCON to East Africa for very first time

Ruto sacks Health PS, Kemsa board — **President William Ruto**

Zim Now Writer

Kenya’s President, William Ruto, has noted a joint bid for the hosting of the next AFCON edition scheduled for 2027 and dubbed "Pamoja" - the Swahili word for together” - is part of his government's plan to harness skills and talent in sport.

"We also intend to launch a compelling bid that will succeed in winning us this critical opportunity to make Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania the epicenters of regional and continental footballing resurgence.

“We hope our joint bid will motivate all our sides not only to qualify for the 2027 tournament but to excel by our individual countries.

“I am very confident that for the very first time, East Africa will host a successful 2027 tournament. We know that we have competitors from the continent but I am very confident that this bid that brings together East African solidarity will be a success," President Ruto said.

He also said that his Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and Arts had been assigned to liaise with counterparts in Uganda and Tanzania to formulate a winning bid.

He expressed his confidence that East Africa would finally host the biennial continental showpiece for the first time ever, despite competition from rival bids from previous hosts, Algeria and Egypt, as well as Botswana.

Ruto further vowed infrastructure development, enhanced monetization of sporting talent, and the reinstatement of Kenya's football into good standing as the key interventions his administration is keen on implementing to support the bid.

The Pamoja bid will be submitted to the Confederation of African Football on Wednesday.

Kenya was granted and later stripped of the rights to host the 1996 AFCON and 2021 Africa Home Nations finals.

CAF's demands for any country hosting its matches are that the venues must be near an airport, a level five hospital, and a five-star hotel, with the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, being the only facility approved to host continental matches in the region.