The National Assembly Committee on Sports and Culture has rejected the Sports Ministry’s request to raise Kenya’s budget allocation for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The committee’s decision comes as Kenya is yet to pay the mandatory Sh3.5 billion hosting fee required by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Chairing the committee, Webuye West MP Dan Wanyama dismissed the ministry’s request to increase the budget from Sh3.5 billion to Sh5 billion, terming the justification inadequate.
“In fact, you should be cutting down your budget because the championship is being hosted by three states. Your push for an enhanced allocation should not be based on a country that single-handedly hosted AFCON,” Wanyama said.
Principal Secretary for Sports Elijah Mwangi informed the committee that Kenya has not yet remitted the Sh3.5 billion hosting fee due to a lack of funds, while co-hosts Uganda and Tanzania have already paid their fees under the Pamoja bid to jointly host the tournament.
Mwangi had requested the committee to include the payment in a supplementary budget to avoid jeopardizing Kenya’s hosting rights.
The PS also defended the proposed budget increase, citing a benchmarking visit to the last AFCON tournament in Morocco with officials from Football Kenya.
He argued that Kenya would need additional funds to meet the standards observed there.
However, MPs maintained that co-hosting with two other countries should reduce Kenya’s financial burden and that any budgetary request must reflect the shared nature of the tournament.
Despite rejecting the increment, the committee pledged to support the Sports Ministry in engaging the National Treasury to release the required Sh3.5 billion fee.
For the 2026/27 financial year, the ministry’s budget ceiling stands at Sh25.49 billion, including Sh7.38 billion for recurrent expenditure and Sh18.11 billion for development.
The session also highlighted funding pressures across other departments within the ministry. Principal Secretary for Culture, Arts, and Heritage Ummi Bashir told MPs that her department requires Sh5.7 billion for recurrent expenditure but was allocated only Sh2.8 billion, resulting in stalled projects.
Yatta MP Robert Basil questioned a Sh37 million allocation meant to facilitate the President’s county visits during cultural events.
The PS clarified that the amount had been revised to Sh23.6 million, arguing that the Office of the President is already funded for such engagements.
“Why budget for the same? This amounts to duplication,” Basil noted.
Lawmakers further examined the Sh145 million allocation under the Creative Economy docket for developing the Creative Economy Policy, the Creative Economy Bill, and amendments to the Copyright Bill. Principal Secretary Jacobs Fikirini defended the funds, stating they would facilitate drafting regulations, stakeholder engagement, and public participation. He also revealed that the sector had proposed Sh2.891 billion for implementing the Film Services Programme in 2026/27 but received only Sh848.17 million, leaving a shortfall of Sh2.043 billion.
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