The regional heavyweights of East Africa – Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania – have joined forces to launch an historic joint bid for the right to host the 2027 edition of the continent’s largest sporting event, the Africa Cup of Nations football championships.
Dubbed the “Pamoja” (Together) Initiative, the combined bid was formally submitted this week by Kenyan President William Ruto at Nairobi’s State House, where leaders portrayed cross-border cooperation on Africa’s most popular sport as a stepping stone toward deeper cultural and economic integration between the neighboring nations.
“This sector is a giant wellspring of opportunities,” said Ruto, an avid football supporter, noting the immense potential of improved sporting infrastructure to create jobs, attract tourists, and catalyze commerce across borders.
While each nation boasts strong footballing traditions – from Uganda’s Cranes to Tanzania’s Taifa Stars to Kenya’s Harambee Stars – none have individually hosted a major Confederation of African Football (CAF) tournament for over three decades. By pooling their organizational capacities, however, hopes are high that East Africa could shine on the continental stage.
Successful co-hosting would also offer a pathbreaking template for future collaboration between members of the East African Community (EAC), a bloc prioritizing collective self-reliance and prosperity across the region. Joint sports initiatives enhance contact between EAC’s citizens and underscore shared identity.
As deliberations by CAF approach in coming months, leaders across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania assert that reinvigorating domestic sporting institutions today will have cascading impacts both on and off the pitch tomorrow. In Ruto’s words: “We will ensure we place Kenya on its rightful position as a sporting superpower.”
But the Pamoja bid faces stiff competition from other interested hosts, including Madagascar, South Africa, Senegal and Zambia. The chosen nation will inherit enormous responsibilities – and benefits – when Africa’s 24 best national teams gather in summer 2027 to contest the AFCON crown currently held by Senegal.
