Kenya’s decision to close Nyayo National Stadium for pitch maintenance has once again exposed an uncomfortable contradiction in the country’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

While football clubs are being forced to search for alternative venues because one of the country’s few international-standard stadiums is unavailable, questions continue to be raised over why the same facility has previously been opened for large non-sporting events, including mega religious crusades planned for the weekend of November 7, 2026.

The latest closure of Nyayo Stadium was officially for a 10-day pitch maintenance programme. It was not prompted by a crusade. But the timing has revived a much bigger debate about how Kenya should manage its scarce sports infrastructure as it prepares to co-host AFCON 2027.

The impact of the closure has already been felt in the FKF Premier League.

AFC Leopards were forced to host Kakamega Homeboyz at Wang’uru, while Gor Mahia moved its home fixture against KCB to Moi Stadium in Embu in the fifth round of the 202/27 Football Kenya Federation Premier League.

For clubs already operating under tight financial conditions, such movements are not merely an inconvenience. They mean additional transport costs, logistical challenges and the loss of the familiarity and home advantage associated with their traditional venues.

Yet this disruption is being presented as necessary for the greater national objective of preparing Kenya for AFCON.

Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi previously explained the government’s plans for Nyayo, saying, “Nyayo National Stadium will be closed down immediately after the World Rugby Sevens Division II tournament so that we can have a canopy erected at the arena. We need to have an elaborate media centre, and other key facilities that might be missing at the Nyayo National Stadium.”

The statement underlines the importance attached to transforming Nyayo into a facility capable of handling major international competitions.

Nicholas Musonye, a key figure in Kenya’s AFCON preparations and the tournament’s LOC chairman, has similarly defended the disruptions caused by the closure of stadiums.

“We are ready for Afcon, and when we close some of these venues, it’s not intentional. We want the best for the legacy of this country,” Musonye said.

Musonye on stadia closure

Speaking on the latest closure of Nyayo Stadium while preparations for a planned crusade hit top gear, Musonye did not address the upcoming event not related to sports at the facility.

“I visited various training sites to assess the progress of ongoing renovation works as we intensify preparations for AFCON 2027. I also inspected Nyayo National Stadium to ensure that the ongoing works meet CAF standards ahead of the upcoming AFCON qualifiers.

“As the LOC Chairman, I firmly believe that Harambee Stars deserve to play their home matches on Kenyan soil, in front of their passionate supporters. We cannot continue playing our home qualifiers away from home. It is our responsibility to ensure that our facilities are ready to host these important matches as we prepare for AFCON 2027.

“We remain committed to delivering world-class sporting facilities and ensuring that Kenya is fully prepared to host a memorable AFCON 2027. **Kenya is ready for the task!” Musonye said on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.

That argument is understandable. Kenya cannot hope to successfully stage AFCON matches without putting its stadiums through the necessary rehabilitation and upgrades.

But it also raises a difficult question: if football clubs are expected to sacrifice their home grounds for AFCON preparations, why should the same facilities continue to be available for massive non-sporting events?

Musonye has himself stressed the importance of protecting the facilities.

“Our emphasis now is to put up venues that meet CAF standards. The playing surface is very critical, and that’s why CAF inspectors are here now,” he said.

Those words should guide how Nyayo is used in the months leading to AFCON.

Kenya’s stadium situation is hardly comfortable. A Senate inspection in October revealed a KSh984 million funding gap at Nyayo, with the contractor having left the site pending payment. Several works were still outstanding, including floodlight connection, LED screens, perimeter works, turnstiles, ticketing facilities and disability infrastructure.

Nyayo is also expected to serve as an AFCON training venue.

This means the country is not dealing with an abundance of modern stadiums. It is working with a limited number of facilities while racing against time to meet international standards.

That reality makes the continued hosting of mega non-sporting events at Nyayo increasingly difficult to justify.

The controversy is not new.

Common trend

In February 2024, American evangelist Benny Hinn held a two-day crusade at Nyayo Stadium at a time when Kasarani was closed for renovations. Reports showed temporary structures and tents being erected on the playing surface, prompting criticism from football supporters and other sports stakeholders.

The issue resurfaced in 2025 when Grace Encounter Nairobi was scheduled at Nyayo despite the significant investment that had gone into improving the stadium.

The argument here is not about religion. Religious organisations have every right to hold large gatherings in suitable venues.

The question is whether a national sports facility should be used for such events when the country is struggling to provide enough grounds for its professional clubs and is simultaneously preparing for one of the continent’s biggest sporting tournaments.

Nyayo is not simply another open public space. It is a specialised sports facility whose playing surface, drainage, stands, access systems and other infrastructure require protection and maintenance.

Every large event held there carries the potential for additional pressure on those facilities.

Kenyan football is already paying the price for the stadium shortage.

Clubs have been forced to travel to different towns because of stadium closures. Some have had to surrender home advantage. Others have incurred additional expenses simply to fulfil league fixtures.

It would therefore be difficult to convince those clubs that their sacrifice is necessary for the country’s sporting legacy while allowing other organisers to use the same facilities for events that have nothing to do with sport.

There should be consistency.

If Nyayo is closed to football because the pitch needs protection, it should equally be unavailable for large non-sporting gatherings. If the facility is undergoing AFCON-related works, those works should take precedence over events that can be hosted elsewhere.

Kenya has churches, conference facilities, open grounds and other venues capable of hosting large religious gatherings. Nyayo, by contrast, is part of the country’s limited sports infrastructure.

The government should therefore establish a clear policy for the remaining period before AFCON 2027: national sports facilities being prepared for the tournament should be reserved primarily for sport and essential sporting-related activities.

This would also send a clear message to football clubs that their sacrifices are not being taken for granted.

Kenya cannot simultaneously complain about stadium scarcity, displace Premier League clubs because of venue closures, struggle to complete AFCON works and then make its few usable stadiums available for mega events unrelated to sport.

AFCON 2027 is supposed to leave a lasting sporting legacy.

Protecting the country’s limited stadium infrastructure should be part of that legacy.

And if clubs are being asked to endure temporary inconvenience for that greater national objective, then everyone else should be prepared to make the same sacrifice.

Nyayo should be treated first and foremost as a national sports facility. Until Kenya has enough modern stadiums to meet the needs of both sport and other large gatherings, mega non-sporting events should find alternative venues.