Nick Mwendwa-led 2018 Chan LOC gazetted by Wario

Football Kenya Federation boss Nick Mwendwa will head the Local Organising Committee for the 2018 CAF Africa Home Nations Championships (Chan) that will be held in the country after it was formally gazetted by the Cabinet Secretary for Sport, Culture and the Arts, Dr. Hassan Wario Arero.

This is according to Notice No. 868 of Friday’s Kenya Gazette dated January 23 that announced “It is notified for the general information of the public that the Cabinet Secretary for Sport, Culture has constituted the LOC for the 5th Edition of the Africa Nation Championship Cup (Chan), 2018, consisting of the following members-.”

Mohammed Ahmed Hillow is the Vice-chairman with FKF Chief Executive, Robert Muthomi, serving the LOC in the same capacity.

Broadcaster Herbert Mwachiro is the Deputy CEO/Event Director with Nkino Sairo the Assistant Event Director.

The Director of Administration at the Ministry, Haron Komen is in the four-member Chan 2018 Technical and Competition team alongside Solomon Alubala, Abdukadir Ali and Timothy Mureithi.

FKF Vice-president, Doris Petra is in the three-member Hospitality (Accommodation and Entertainment) Committee with Dokatu Wako and Alex Tunoi.

Njoroge Muthuma, Duncan Ashubwe, Joseph Endere, Thomas Odundo and David Thiru are in the crucial 2018 Chan Finance and Procurement Committee.

The Communication and Media team comprising of SuperSport General Manager, East Africa Auka Gecheo, FKF Communications boss, Barry Otieno, Rakki Manasseh of Sports Stadia Management Board and the Public Relations Officer in the ministry, Richard Abura.

In a pointer of where tournament will be held, representatives of Nairobi, Mombasa and Uasin Gishu counties will be part of the expansive 2018 Chan LOC.

The CAF inspection team that toured the country in April last year also visited proposed venues in Kisumu, Meru and Machakos counties that do not appear to have met the threshold to be considered to host the biennial continental football showpiece.

The ministries of Foreign Affairs as well as Interior and National Co-ordination will be represented in the organisation body of the tournament open only to home-grown players.

Wario’s gazette notice of the 2018 Chan LOC is the clearest indicator yet of Government support after months of uncertainty with little happening on the ground to suggest preparations had started.

-Political goodwill-

During the whistle-stop inspection visit, CAF Secretary General Hicham El Amrani had called on political goodwill to make the 2018 Chan in Kenya a success.

“We are expecting 16 national teams including the host nation so it’s a big tournament. We require four stadiums, eight training sites as well as other requirements in terms of hospitals, hotels and such.

“We know Kenya is already doing great on all those aspects but we need to work on the key priority of infrastructure,” the secretary general stressed during a visit to Kinoru Stadium in Meru.

CAF President Issa Hayatou later met Deputy President William Ruto in August who assured them of State support in hosting the first ever continental tournament on Kenyan soil after the country was stripped of the rights to stage the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations when the Government of day refused to guarantee the finances needed.

“As I committed to your deputy, I want to tell you the Government of Kenya will work overtime to ensure these Championships are held professionally, in the best possible manner and the Kenyan population is behind us to ensure the Championships are successful,” the Deputy President affirmed.

Kenya won the bid to host the 2018 Chan in February 2014 that was championed by former FKF President, Sam Nyamweya.

CAF’s decision came just weeks after FKF sent a delegation to Cape Town South to present the Kenyan government’s guarantee for the country’s hosting bid for the 2019 Afcon that was not successful.