FOOTBALL Kasarani Stadium: an iconic piece of Kenyan sporting history that could host AFCON 2027

Will the 40th year of Kasarani's existence be the one to host Africa’s biggest football tournament?

Over the next few weeks, Pulse Sports will be running a series of all the stadia proposed to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations as part of the East Africa Pamoja Bid launched by Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.

The Moi International Sports Centre (MISC) Kasarani is a multi-purpose stadium located in Nairobi, Kenya. 

It was built in 1987 for the All Africa Games held in Nairobi. As its name suggests, it is a multi-purpose sports centre that contains a competition-size swimming pool, an indoor arena, and a 108-bed capacity hotel.

The elephant in the room is, of course, the monster spaceship-like stadium that sits in the middle of the complex and is easily the most recognisable structure.

In this article, we will find out about the history of the stadium, the reasons it had to be closed in 2010 before being reopened in 2012, the major sporting events it hosted particularly in 2017 and 2021, and what it needs if it is to be ready to host the 2027 AFCON.

A history of Kasarani Stadium

It can host up to 60,000 people (excluding seats) and has a running track and a pitch that can be used for rugby, football, and field events.

The stadium was closed in January 2010 for renovation works worth Ksh900 million and funded by a grant to the Government of Kenya by the Government of China. Chinese firm, Sheng Li Engineering Construction Company Limited was contracted to conduct the renovations and the stadium was reopened in March 2012 after completion of the renovations.

Construction works begun in 1982 when Kenya won the bid to host the 4th All African Games in 1987. The championships required a large and modern sporting facility and this is where the idea was born. 

The stadium was designed by a Chinese architect, Wang Defu, who noted that the design was inspired by a flower. This is evident from an aerial view.

The 60,000-seater stadium initially had wooden benches in the lower terraces with the original design by Defu also including a shopping center, a police station, and light rail for transporting fans from the city center to the stadium. 

The presidential suite was built to purposely accommodate the late Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi who would take a nap before games or at halftime. However, the late president only used it for entertaining his guests. 

In April and May 2014, after terror attacks in Nairobi and Mombasa, the main stadium was used as a screening center as part of 'Operation Usalama Watch' during which thousands of people were rounded up and arrested by the Kenya Police.

The stadium hosted the 2017 World U18 Athletic Championships as well as the 2021 World Championships in the U20 category.

What renovations has the stadium undergone?

In January 2010, the stadium was closed for two years to allow major renovations that were estimated to cost Ksh1 billion.

Chinese firm, Sheng Li Engineering Construction Company Limited was contracted to conduct the renovations of the stadium

The renovations were completed in 2012 though, with a couple of changes made to the stadium.

The most notable change was the laying of an all-weather blue tartan track to be used by athletes, replacing the red old one.

The second notable change was that ergonomic seats were installed in the lower terraces, replacing the wooden benches while the middle terraces were fitted with plastic chairs.

The VIP area went through the most changes. A red-carpet VIP area with white leather seats was installed, fully equipped with ceramic-tiled washrooms, while staircases were modified to suit the physically disabled.

The presidential suite also went through a makeover, getting equipped with a bedroom, living room, and bathroom.

The VVIP area was also fitted with glass partitioning and an acoustic gypsum ceiling board with the track being an all-weather tartan.

It also underwent some more renovations in 2020 to be ready to host the 2021 World U20 Athletics Championships.

In 2023, the stadium was finally fitted with seats in the upper terraces after the government was backed into a corner where CAF recommended it was filled with seats, and as it stands, 60,000 seats currently sit on the terraces.

What changes are expected to be made to the stadium?

The first thing the facility will go through is to have its lighting system upgraded. Unlike its mother stadium Nyayo, Kasarani’s lighting actually works, but it still does not meet CAF's standards.

“Lighting is a big issue at Kasarani and is outdated. We are upgrading that lighting to 2000 lux capability and capability of a modern standard,” sports cabinet secretary Ababu Namwamba said in May.

Changes are also expected to be made to the technical bench, with a permanent dugout set to be erected, given the current technical benches used are portable.

The current media booth is also set to undergo a serious revamp while all the washrooms and dressing rooms will require work.

A fully equipped medical facility will also have to be built in order to help patients who may suffer from various health issues while at the games.

When are the renovations set to be completed?

Namwamba set a deadline of 2025 as the time the stadium should be ready enough to meet CAF’s standards. He also insisted that whether Kenya wins the bid to host the AFCON or not, the stadium must meet international standards.

"With or without AFCON, we're determined to renovate our sporting facilities. We want to bid for other World competitions and we'll keep on attracting these top-level events.”