What Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania Presented That Won Them AFCON 2027 Bid

The East African Pamoja Bid was inspired by three governments who were in support of it, with equitable distribution of football benefits.

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Sep 28, 2023 - 08:47 Updated: Oct 1, 2023 - 14:10
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What Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania Presented That Won Them AFCON 2027 Bid
President William Ruto speaking at State House in Nairobi alongside Sports CS Ababu Namwamba and the AFCON trophy (inset). /PCS.ERIC NJIRU

The East African Pamoja bid consisting of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania which defied all odds and secured the bid for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) was inspired by the concept of 'Pamoja', a Swahili word translating to 'together'.

Details of its presentation to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee seen by Viral Tea revealed that the concept embodies the vision the three countries hold dear as the East African Community (EAC) to bring Africa together through the power of football.

The East African Pamoja Bid was inspired by three governments who were in support of it, with equitable distribution of football benefits.

A graphic of the accepted East Africa 'Pamoja' Bid. /FOOTBALL KENYA FEDERATION

To date, 18 out of the 54 countries have hosted the prestigious African football showpiece with the Central Africa Football Association (CECAFA) revealed to have last hosted 51 years ago. Before winning the bid, none of the three countries had ever hosted AFCON.

The three countries also banked on a football-mad population of over 300 million people as well as a single tourist visa for entry to the seven EAC countries. Also presented was a minimum of nine home matches translating to full-capacity stadiums.

The three countries also presented infrastructure in the form of international airports, with the three EAC countries accessible to each other via one-hour flight intervals, a multitude of five-star hotels in the proposed host cities, the countries being world tourism destinations and having top-of-the-range medical facilities.

Sports Minister in Tanzania, Dr Damas Ndumbaro while speaking in Cairo, Egypt, revealed to CAF, the continental football governing body, how they will revamp the sports infrastructure in preparation for the 2027 event.

"Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have won the bid because of a number of reasons. The presidents of the three countries have shown commitment to restructuring their sports infrastructure in order to win the bid," he said.

"The Ministers of Sports across the three countries also pitched camp in Cairo to voice our opinions on why we were the clear victor. Sports federations across the EAC had also joined us."

Moments after the historic announcement, the three host countries' presidents vowed to honour their commitments to revamping the sports infrastructure in preparation for the 2027 event.

"I received good news that our joint bid with Kenya and Tanzania to host the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in 2027 was successful. I thank the organizers for putting up a good case for East Africa. This will promote our countries and positively impact our economies, especially the tourism sector," Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni said.

"We thank God that we are graced with the opportunity to host AFCON 2027, alongside Kenya and Uganda. We applaud all of you for supporting us to ensure that our countries secured the bid. I instruct the Ministers to get to work and ensure the stadia are in line with international standards and are complete in record time," Tanzania's Samia Suluhu noted.

Speaking on Wednesday, September 27 during the Nairobi International Trade Fair at ASK Grounds in Nairobi, President William Ruto praised Sports Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ababu Namwamba and other stakeholders for successfully spearheading the bid to host the continental showpiece for the first time in East and Central Africa.

"Many people never believed that we had a chance of hosting AFCON in 2027 because of the state of our football and the state of our sports in general, but I'm very proud today that Kenya, together with our partners in Uganda and Tanzania, jointly we have won the right to host AFCON 2027," he addressed.

Ruto promised that he would mobilize all resources as well as involve every sector and every Kenyan to ensure that the country delivers a football event fit to satisfy international standards.

This also includes upgrades to the necessary infrastructure in line with the demands that come with the hosting rights, including the handling of thousands of fans streaming into the country for the football event.

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