Rabar out, Musonye stays put: Mvurya rearranges LOC for Afcon 2027

Capital FM FeaturedEditor

March 31, 2026 | 11:18 PM•3 min read

Originally published on Capital FM Featured

Rabar out, Musonye stays put: Mvurya rearranges LOC for Afcon 2027

NAIROBI, Kenya, March 31, 2026 – Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya has unveiled a restructured and expanded local organising committee (LOC) for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

Whereas Nicholas Musonye retains his position as chairperson, Homeboyz Entertainment founder Mike Rabar makes way for Anthony Inzahuli Lung’aho as the head of the secretariat (CEO).

Musonye will be deputised by Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Hussein Mohammed whereas the entire national executive committee (NEC) of the local football governing body have been opted into the LOC.

Earlier, the CS had said the reconstituted LOC will enhance its institutional capacity to handle the scale and complexity of preparing and hosting a tournament the magnitude of Afcon.

“This multi-sectoral approach is deliberate, ensuring that our institutional capacity is fully aligned with the scale, complexity, and urgency of preparations required to host a tournament of AFCON’s magnitude,” Mvurya said.

The LOC will be tasked with a number of duties, among them, securing sponsorship from the private sector, overseeing the progress of construction of sports facilities, ticket management and stadium operations, media accreditation and press relations as well as budget preparation and financial accountability.

Reconstitution of LOC comes at a time when Kenya is racing against time to ready itself for the tournament, which is highly likely set to kick off in June, next year.

Construction on a new 60,000-seater Talanta Stadium continues as are renovations at Kasarani and Nyayo stadia.

Talanta and Kasarani are set to host the matches whereas Nyayo – as well as Police Sacco and Ulinzi Complex – will be used as training pitches.

Inspectors from the Confederation of African Football (Caf) have flagged a number of issues with the construction process, noting the need for rectifications to conform with world standards.

Mvurya says the corrections will be taken into consideration as they engage the high gear to prepare all the venues for continental showpiece.

“These include the fast-tracked construction and upgrading of match venues, training facilities, transport and logistics systems, as well as safety, security, and broadcast standards. This is a routine but critical process in the hosting cycle, and Kenya is addressing each recommendation with precision, urgency, and accountability,” the CS said.

Afcon 2027 comes hot on the heels of the 2024 Africa Nations Championships (CHAN), which Kenya co-hosted with Uganda and Tanzania, last year.

The country is also set to host the women’s Fifa Global Series at the Nyayo Stadium on April 11-15 this year – a tournament that could also serve a litmus test for its capacity to host next year’s competition.