Kenya eases AFCON 2027 fears with new key development at Kasarani Stadium [VIDEO]

Kenyan football fans can look forward to watching the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2027) at home following major progress made at Kasarani Stadium.

Kasarani Stadium, currently undergoing renovations, and the newly-built ultra-modern Talanta Stadium are the two main venues Kenya intends to use during the tournament, which they will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania.

However, there had been concerns about the state of Kasarani after an inspection visit by officials from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in August.

CAF was reportedly not happy with the state of Kasarani Stadium, whose upgrade had stalled after the contractor downed tools, having not been paid.

With a requirement that all AFCON facilities be ready six months before the June 19 to July 17, 2027 tournament, Kenya’s preparedness was put into question, leading to reports in international media that CAF was exploring alternative host countries.

The main issue was that Kasarani, which staged the 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN 2025) in August 2025, had not worked on the pitch while other key amenities like skyboxes were far from being done.

However, according to the latest images, the grass has now been planted and is expected to be up within two weeks to one month.

Further, the government has also started adding skyboxes at the stadium after demolishing sections of the facility to create room for them.

Skyboxes are private luxury suites located high in stadium seating areas, offering panoramic views, premium seating, climate control, catering, and exclusive amenities for VIPs and corporate guests.

CAF made it clear that Kasarani must have 61 skyboxes, something the Kenyan government tried to push back on in May, saying it would be a huge disruption and risk to the existing infrastructure, potentially leading to a major delay in completion of renovation work.

But with no time on their side, Kenya has been forced to move with speed to ensure the stadium fits the bill ahead of the next CAF inspection visit in December.

However, cases of delayed payment to the contractor have also contributed to the slow progress of the work and there is hope that there will be no more disruptions in the next couple of months.