Kenya is in the final stages of renovating Kasarani Stadium as the country prepares to host the rescheduled 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in August.
The stadium, initially set to be ready for the tournament’s original February 2025 date, faced delays that led to the competition’s postponement.
Then Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen had previously acknowledged challenges in meeting the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) initial December 31, 2024, deadline for stadium readiness.
To fast-track the process, the government opted to airlift construction materials, incurring additional costs.
“It is going to cost us slightly some extra amount because instead of bringing the goods by sea, we must have to bring them by air,” Murkomen said in December.
Despite these efforts, Kenya was granted an extension, with Murkomen expressing confidence that the stadiums would be ready by mid-January.
However, work on Kasarani continued into 2025 as part of a broader infrastructure upgrade in preparation for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Kenya will co-host.
By February 2025, the first phase of renovations at Kasarani was completed, including the installation of a new playing surface and partial canopy coverage.
Sports Principal Secretary Peter Tum confirmed that while CHAN was a priority, the long-term focus remained on AFCON
“Kasarani is being prepared specifically for AFCON 2027. Although we had the first phase completed early enough to host CHAN,” Tum stated.
As of April 2025, the second phase of renovations is nearing completion. The canopy installation is now fully done, providing complete coverage for the stadium.
VIP and VVIP seating areas have been fitted, and the playing surface has matured to meet CAF’s grass height standards.
Additionally, landscaping work is ongoing, and speed lifts in the VIP section are at an advanced stage. The next phase will involve rehabilitating the tartan track.
With these upgrades, Kenya is on course to meet CAF’s expectations and deliver a successful CHAN tournament in August.
