The Principal Secretary (PS) for Sports, Elijah Mwangi, said security remained a top priority for the government as part of delivering a phenomenal AFCON 2027 for Kenya.
Speaking on Wednesday as he presided over the opening ceremony of a two-day CAF, LOC Security Workshop that brought together top security leaders in the country, the PS expressed his confidence in the preparations, which would comply with CAF requirements.
AFCON 2027 to attract thousands
"This workshop is very important in delivering a CAF-compliant football event. For an event of PAMOJA AFCON 2027 magnitude, security is a central pillar towards the successful delivery of this great event," said Mwangi.
"As Africa’s premier football spectacle, 2027 AFCON will attract thousands of players, officials, supporters, dignitaries, international guests and media from across the continent and beyond.
"Ensuring their safety and guaranteeing a peaceful, secure and seamless tournament experience is therefore of utmost importance."
The opening match will be played on Saturday, June 19th, and the final on Saturday, July 17th, as per the dates approved by the FIFA Council at its recent meeting in Vancouver, Canada.
The 2027 AFCON will come after Morocco hosted the 2025 edition, which was widely praised as one of the best-organised in history.
Mwangi added: "An event of this scale and significance naturally presents complex security dynamics that require proactive planning, intelligence-led operations, strong inter-agency collaboration and continuous preparedness.
"Kenya is fully committed to delivering a secure environment that reflects our capability, professionalism and hospitality as a nation."
On what Kenya wants to achieve from the workshop, Mwangi said: "This workshop is focused on strengthening multi-agency operational coordination, enhancing intelligence and response mechanisms, identifying and mitigating high-risk areas, and developing effective strategies to deter criminality, hooliganism and any acts that may threaten public order and the integrity of the tournament.
"Equally important is the need to foster collaboration beyond security agencies by engaging communities, sports stakeholders, emergency response teams, transport operators, venue managers and development partners in building a comprehensive and participatory security framework for 2027 AFCON.
"The training and resolutions emerging from this workshop will be cascaded across all relevant institutions and stakeholders to ensure a harmonised national approach towards safety and security during the tournament period.
"This initiative once again demonstrates Kenya’s growing readiness and unwavering commitment to successfully hosting one of the biggest sporting events ever staged on African soil."
Other stakeholders in the meeting were Football Kenya Federation and the Ministry of Sports at Kasarani Stadium.
The workshop, which is organised by the United Nations’ office on Counter Terrorism in Sports, comes at a time when Kenya is stepping up preparations for the biannual continental football showpiece, which is just 13 months away.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) was represented by Head of Safety and Security, Dr Christian Emeruwa. The PS further noted the discussions in the workshop would focus on procedures and protocol of having a safe and secure environment for the tournament.
Among the key areas to be discussed in the meeting are reviewing successes that we registered during CHAN 2025, the challenges identified and the mapping of venues.
'We must address all gaps'
Other key deliberations at the Kasarani workshop include crowd management, traffic marshalling, cross-border movements, airport and port of entry and exit, match and training venue security, as well as security for the VIP guests, among others.
FKF President Hussein Mohammed said there was a need to intensify the training to ensure Kenya complied with all stringent CAF requirements.
"We must address all gaps to ensure we stage a unique tournament that provides a unique fan experience for Kenya’s fans," he said.
"Ensuring a safe, secure, and well-coordinated environment for players, officials, and fans is central to delivering a successful 2027 AFCON. We thank CAF and all our partners for their expertise and collaboration as we continue building a world-class tournament."
Kenya Police Service, including the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), the Kenya Defence Forces, the National Anti-Terrorism Centre and the National Disaster Operations Centre are among the attendees.
The PS said the infrastructure development was progressing well with the accelerated construction of match and training venues.
He was flanked by the Secretary Administrative at the State Department of Sports, Evans Achoki, Football Kenya Federation president Hussein Mohammed and Kenya’s LOC chairperson Nicholas Musonye.
