In a bid to make the movement within East African region flawless, Kenya will grant visa-free entry to media, fans, and other football lovers intending to watch the delayed 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan) and 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
While their co-hosts Uganda have also made a similar arrangement, Tanzania are expected to make the announcement in the coming few weeks.
Kenya’s Harambee Stars, who will be making their debut in the continental showpiece involving local-based players, have been drawn in Group A together with Morocco, DR Congo, Zambia, and Angola. They will face DR Congo in their opening match on August 3 at Kasarani Stadium. Nyayo Stadium will equally host a number of matches. The tournament will act as a dry run for the 2027 Afcon to be co-hosted by the three nations.
Speaking to the media after the conclusion of Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) delegation’s final inspection to determine Kenya’s preparedness in Nairobi yesterday, Local Organising Committee (LOC) chairman Nicholas Musonye said they are doing everything possible to make the tournament a success.
While thanking the government for waiving the visa fees, he assured the stakeholders that they will not allow the noble gesture to compromise the security of the event. He said the government is putting strong measures in place to secure the safety of everyone during the event.
“Already Kenya and Uganda, and Tanzania by next week will produce their protocols in regard to entry and visa. Kenya has waived visa fees. People who are coming to watch CHAN/Afcon will not pay for a visa; they will come to Kenya and leave, go to Tanzania and Uganda, and then come back,” said Musonye.
“We want to thank the government of Kenya for giving us the go-ahead to write to our members, and they have even gazetted a notice saying that entry visas to Kenya will be free for people who are coming to watch our competition. We want to assure our visitors that they should not have any worries about visas, that’s been taken care of. We are soon getting the protocol from Tanzania on the same. So, that means anyone who will be coming to Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania to watch our competition will be moving very freely.
“But that doesn’t mean that we relax our security operations, and we cannot be complacent and give free visas to every Tom, Dick and Harry. Still, our security forces must be vigilant to ensure that even if you are from Uganda, Tanzania, Congo, Egypt, or other places coming for CHAN/Afcon, there must be some documents to show that you are coming to watch football. We just can’t open our borders and then relax. That cannot happen in an organised society like ours. That’s impossible. We are organising this tournament, giving people free movement, but at the same time enhancing our security.”
Having received a clean bill of health from CAF after numerous inspections followed by the tournament’s postponement from February to August, the former CECAFA Secretary General says the world can prepare to see a memorable tournament in East Africa.
“In a tournament of this nature, you can never have a stadium that is 101 percent ready. There will always be some hiccups, one or two small things that haven’t been tightened up. But over and above, I want to assure Kenyans that our venues are 98 percent ready. The two percent is the margin of error that can happen anywhere. But that doesn’t mean that football cannot be played. Football will be played in a very good atmosphere,” said Musonye.
“When CAF were here in January, March and May, there were so many doubts about our ability to host this competition. But from what CAF have said, we have the facilities that can pass any test. No one, in their true sense of the word, can come and say we are not in a position to host this competition. I’ve been in Africa in many places, but we don’t have these kind of facilities. We now have facilities that will go beyond CHAN and Afcon.”