Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega town will be ready in time to host African Nations Championships (CHAN) tournament in August, the National Assembly Committee on Sports and Culture has assured the country.

The stadium is also being spruced up for the Africa Nations Cup in 2027, but the rehabilitation works have been snail-paced.

The rehabilitation of the historical stadium has been in fits-and-starts since the county government resolved almost 10 years ago to expand the biggest sports facility in the Lake Victoria Basin Region to accommodate more sports.

Hitherto, Bukhungu Stadium – the first sports arena to be built in East and Africa in 1936 after a famous victory by North Kavirondo football team (which over time mutated into AFC Leopards) against an English Premier League team Remington FC – has provision for football and athletics only. The North Kavirondo team that consisted of the likes of Captain Peter Muchuma (Jonathan Niva Muchuma’s father), deadly striker Mutswanje and fullback Elijah Masinde wa Nameme, among other won the match 3-0 to become the first Africa side to beat a European team.

On Friday, the National Assembly on sports assured the county government that there was enough funds to complete the construction of the edifice – fondly referred to at the Kenya’s Football Cathedral – that lies adjacent to Masinde Muliro University in Kakamega town.

Chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Sports and Culture Dan Wanyama, who is also the Member of Parliament for Webuye West, said the committee expects contractors to be on-site and complete the stadiums. He asked county governments to settle pending bills to allow the construction works to progress uninterrupted.

He noted that Kenya has already paid the hosting rights for African Nations Championships (CHAN), scheduled for August this year and is also warming up to host the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2027. He said parliament will not allow the chance to host CHAN to slip away from Kenya, which will also attract heavy penalties.

The two tournaments will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, whose joint bid was given the nod by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

“Kenyans know that in August (this years) and in 2027, Kenya is going to host two serious tournaments in Africa – these are CHAN and AFCON and what is critical is that the facilities should be upgraded to international standards,” he noted.

He said the government is committed to ensuring that all the stadia under construction are completed and meet the Confederation of African Football specifications and that there will be no need for future upgrades.

He was speaking when he led the committee on an inspection tour of 30,000-seater Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega town and Malinya Stadium in Ikolomani constituency at the weekend. The MP expressed confidence that with the progress made on the scope of works, the contractor must complete construction of Bukhungu Stadium by June 30th next year.

“We want to encourage the county government s who are the project managers to make sure that there is value for money and also the contractor has assured us that he will be able to do according to the CAF standards and even beyond,” he said.

Kakamega County Women Representative Elsie Muhanda urged the county government to clear pending bills owed to the contractor amounting to Ksh600 million. She expressed confidence that the stadium will be completed and help in nurturing talent among the western region residents.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Moses Wekesa