Kenya puts security top of the agenda ahead for 2027 AFCON

Kenya has continued to prioritise security for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as plans to host the continental sporting event gathers pace.

The Principal Secretary (PS) for Sports Elijah Mwangi said security remained a top priority for government as part of delivering a phenomenal AFCON 2027 for Kenya.

FKF President Hussein Mohammed and Principal Secretary for Sports Elijah Mwangi today inaugurated the AFCON 2027 Local Organising Committee Safety and Security Workshop, held under CAF Head of Security Dr. Christian Emeruwa’s direction. pic.twitter.com/SvQNeT2Pio

— Football Kenya Federation (@Football_Kenya) May 13, 2026

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 with the preparations which would comply with CAF requirements.

Kenya is fully committed to host AFCON

“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 successfully delivery of this great event,” he said.

“Ensuring their safety and guaranteeing a peaceful, secure and seamless tournament experience is therefore of utmost importance.”

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.”

Other stakeholders in the meeting were Football Kenya Federation and the Ministry of Sports at the Kasarani Stadium.

The workshop, which is organised by the United Nations’ office on Counter Terrorism in Sports comes at a time Kenya is stepping up preparations for the biannual continental football showpiece which is just 13 months away.

Confederation of African Football was represented by Head of Safety and Security Dr. Christian Emeruwa. The PS noted that 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 include reviewing successes that we registered during CHAN 2025, the challenges identified and mapping of venues.

AFCON opener set for June 19

Other areas key deliberations at the Kasarani workshop include crowd management, traffic marshaling, 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 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 unique fan experience for Kenya’s fans,” he said.

Mohammed reiterated the success of AFCON will largely depend on effective security measures. He further noted initiating these workshops early in the preparations is critical to ensure effective implementation, and expressed gratitude to CAF for its ongoing partnership in delivering a tournament of international standard.

Kenya Police Service including the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), the Kenya Defense 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.

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.