Kenya is on track to host the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in 2025, with preparations for stadiums and training facilities progressing steadily, Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, the Creative Economy and Sports, Salim Mvurya has told the Senate.
Appearing before the Senate plenary on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, CS Mvurya assured lawmakers that final inspections for CHAN 2025 venues were completed in June, and that construction works for Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 facilities are ongoing. The completion timelines for these are between December 2025 and June 2026.
Among the key venues under development is the 60,000-seater Talanta Sports City, currently 45 percent complete. Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani — set to serve as the main venue for CHAN 2025 — is 99 percent complete, while Nyayo National Stadium stands at 85 percent and Kipchoge Keino Stadium at 15 percent. Training facilities such as Nyayo, Ulinzi Sports Complex, Police SACCO Grounds, and Utalii Sports Grounds are also being upgraded.
The Senate session also saw Mvurya respond to questions from Makueni Senator Daniel Maanzo regarding the stalled Wote Stadium project. Despite being launched in January 2017, the stadium remains incomplete nearly eight years later.
CS Mvurya attributed the delays to a series of setbacks, including a change in the construction site by the Makueni County Government, which introduced significant topographical challenges. Adjustments to the design, stabilisation works, and the need for a retaining wall to support the pitch and pavilion also contributed to the slow progress.
He also cited financial constraints, particularly the absence of funding during the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 financial years, and contractual issues that resulted in the contractor being removed from the site in 2021 — a decision later reversed after an appeal.
“The project’s completion timelines have been revised several times — from the original June 2018 target to September 2025,” Mvurya noted, adding that the Ministry has prioritised completion in its current plans. Pending works include installation of the athletics track, changing rooms, ablution facilities, perimeter fencing, borehole drilling, and irrigation systems.
“We are working closely with the County Government of Makueni to complete the stadium as a key investment in youth sports,” he told Senators.
On youth mental health, CS Mvurya responded to a separate question from Nominated Senator Joyce Korir — read by Sen. Abdillahi Miraj — regarding the rise in anxiety, depression, and identity crises among young Kenyans, particularly in the sports and creative arts sectors.
The CS outlined a range of initiatives under his Ministry aimed at supporting mental health, including partnerships with Mathari Hospital and JKUAT to provide screening, counselling referrals, and outreach services.
“We have on-the-spot guidance through the Ministry’s Employee Wellness officers, and we are rolling out therapy-based programmes like Sports for Development and Creative Therapy Workshops to promote resilience and mental well-being,” Mvurya said.
He also cited collaborations with psychologists during youth camps, as well as mobile counselling units deployed in partnership with NGOs to reach remote communities during sports and arts events.
Campaigns such as #EndTheStigmaKE and Mental Health Awareness Weeks are also targeting young people, with toll-free helplines and coach referrals available to increase access to services.
The Ministry, he noted, is a core partner in the National Multisectoral Mental Health Action Plan (2021–2025), and has integrated mental wellness into the National Sports Safety Framework developed with the Ministry of Health.
In conclusion, Senators urged the Ministry to fast-track completion of key facilities and deepen support for mental health interventions as the country prepares to take centre stage in continental sports.
