Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba says the ministry will provide Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega to play host for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) set to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Namwamba says renovations at the facility will be completed by June this year ahead of the 16-team event slated for September.

This is the second time that Kenya has been awarded CHAN hosting rights for the championship reserved for players who are playing in their domestic leagues, after being stripped of the 2018 rights by CAF due to venue unreadiness.

The CS spoke during a consultative meeting with the Kakamega County Governor Fernandes Barasa on Tuesday, where the latter undertook to ensure the facility would be ready within set timelines.

“Our target is to have Kakamega as the host city. Should there be a need for alternative or subsidiary sites, then we shall also be looking at Kisumu or Nakuru as possible subsidiary venues,” said Namwamba.

For Bukhungu to get CAF's green light, it should be rated at category four by the African football governing body.

According to article 6 of CAF stadium regulations, stadiums earmarked to host CAF competitions are classified into four categories.

The facilities need to have a smooth and level playing surface that has either natural grass , hybrid or artificial turf with a proper drainage system to avoid flooding.

The stadium is also supposed to have four well accessorized and easily accessible dressing rooms and all seats need to be individually fitted with numbering.

“We need to work on the changing rooms and improve the drainage system of the pitch and we also have terraces being constructed. Those are some of the items among others that have been highlighted by CHAN as the irreversible minimum requirements” said Barasa.

“We have tasked the technical teams to work on the nitty gritty because where we seat is to highlight the importance of having this stadium completed at least for purposes of hosting CHAN and by the end of this week we are going to submit a report to the ministry.”

Namwamba also revealed plans to have all sporting facilities aligned with CAF and World Athletics standards.

“We are also in discussions with county governments that have sports facilities to avail these venues for purposes of these international assignments. For example, we are working closely with governor Susan Kihika of Nakuru to ensure Afraha meets these standards."