The National Assembly Committee on Sports and Culture has rejected a proposal by the Sports Ministry to increase Kenya’s budget allocation for hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Budget Dispute
The committee, chaired by Webuye West MP Dan Wanyama, dismissed the Ministry’s request to raise the hosting budget from Ksh.3.5 billion to Ksh.5 billion, terming the justification inadequate.
“In fact, you should be cutting down your budget because the championship is being hosted by three states. Your push for an enhanced allocation should not be based on a country that single-handedly hosted AFCON,” Wanyama said.
It also emerged that Kenya has yet to pay the mandatory Ksh.3.5 billion hosting fee required by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to secure its role in the tournament.
Co-Hosting Under Pamoja Bid
Kenya is set to co-host AFCON 2027 alongside Uganda and Tanzania under the Pamoja Bid. Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi disclosed that while Uganda and Tanzania have already complied with CAF’s payment requirements, Kenya has not remitted its share due to lack of funds.
The Ministry had sought the committee’s intervention to include the fee in a supplementary budget to avoid jeopardizing Kenya’s standing with CAF. Mwangi argued that benchmarking during the last AFCON in Morocco showed Kenya would need enhanced funding to meet international standards.
Committee’s Position
Despite rejecting the proposed increment, MPs assured the Ministry of support in engaging the National Treasury to release the required hosting fee. Legislators insisted that Kenya’s financial commitment must reflect the shared nature of the tournament, easing the fiscal burden.
Wider Funding Pressures
The session also exposed funding challenges across other dockets under the Sports Ministry:
- Culture, Arts and Heritage: PS Ummi Bashir said her department requires Ksh.5.7 billion for recurrent expenditure but has been allocated Ksh.2.8 billion, stalling projects.
- Creative Economy: PS Jacobs Fikirini defended a Ksh.145 million allocation for policy and legislative development, but noted a shortfall of Ksh.2.043 billion in funding for the Film Services Programme.
- MPs also questioned allocations for presidential county visits during cultural events, citing duplication of funding.
Conclusion
The rejection of the Sports Ministry’s budget increment underscores Parliament’s insistence on fiscal discipline, especially in shared hosting arrangements. While Kenya remains committed to co-hosting AFCON 2027, lawmakers emphasized the need for prudent spending and accountability across the sports and culture sectors.
