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Kenya, Uganda & Tanzania To Host AFCON 2027
In a historic move, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Wednesday announced that Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania will jointly host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament. This is the first time that East Africa will host the prestigious event, and it is a major victory for the region.
The joint bid, dubbed “Pamoja” (Swahili for “together”), was met with great enthusiasm from CAF, who praised the three countries for their commitment to working together to host a successful tournament. Pamoja will feature 24 teams competing in 10 stadiums across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, making it the largest AFCON tournament to date.
The decision to award the hosting rights to Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania is a testament to the region’s growing stature in African football. In recent years, all three countries have made significant investments in developing their football infrastructure and talent. The 2027 AFCON tournament will be an opportunity for them to showcase their progress to the world.
In addition to its sporting significance, the 2027 AFCON tournament is also expected to have a major economic impact on East Africa. The tournament is expected to attract millions of visitors to the region, and it is estimated that it will generate billions of dollars in revenue. The tournament will also provide a boost to the region’s tourism industry and infrastructure development.
Githu Muigai: Reduce Constituencies & Counties
In a bold proposal, former Attorney General Githu Muigai has called for a reduction in the number of constituencies, counties, and the scrapping of the two-thirds gender rule in Kenya.
Muigai made the submissions before the National Dialogue Committee at the Bomas of Kenya on Thursday, arguing that the current structure of government is too expensive and inefficient.
“We have too many people in Parliament, we have too many constituencies and counties. They are costing us a lot of money,” he said. “Reduce the constituencies to about 100 and have one man and one woman in each.”
Muigai also proposed that the number of counties be reduced from 47 to 14, as originally envisioned in the Bomas draft of the Constitution.
“Bring more counties together and let them work together and mobilize resources together and share together,” he said.
On the two-thirds gender rule, Muigai argued that it was a “women empowerment rule” that had not been justified. He instead proposed a 50/50 representation in government, to be achieved by abolishing the Woman Rep seat and creating two positions in each constituency.
Three Former IEBC Commissioners Snub Dialogue Committee
In a bold move that sent shockwaves through the Kenyan political landscape, three former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners Thursday refused to appear before the National Dialogue Committee.
Wafula Chebukati, Abdi Guliye, and Boya Molu, who served as chairperson and commissioners during the 2022 general election, cited several reasons for their decision, including: their belief that the issues they have been invited to discuss have already been resolved through a legal process;their concern that appearing before the committee would be tantamount to “betraying IEBC staffers who were tortured and murdered, as well as rubber-stamping impunity”; and their belief that the committee is politically motivated and that its outcome would tarnish the Constitution and some of its organs.
Instead of appearing before the committee, the three commissioners called for the establishment of a commission of inquiry to investigate the “unfortunate incidents” that occurred on August 15, 2022 at Bomas of Kenya, where the presidential results were announced.
Their refusal to appear before the committee is a major setback for the dialogue process, which is aimed at addressing the issues that led to the post-election crisis. In a joint statement, the three commissioners explained their reasons for refusing to appear before the committee.
“We have gone through the five thematic areas and would like to inform you that we do not wish to make any submissions before the Committee. Our decision is informed by our perspective that the issues being addressed by the Committee are either within the mandate of other agencies or have been resolved by the legally mandated agencies,” the joint statement read in part.
They also expressed their concern about the potential impact of the committee’s work. “Our appearance before the Committee would be seen as a rubber-stamping of impunity and would betray IEBC staffers who were tortured and murdered during the election period. It would also be in bad taste, given that the outcome of the process is likely to tarnish the Constitution and some of its organs,” they said.
Instead of appearing before the committee, the three commissioners called for the establishment of a commission of inquiry to investigate the incidents that occurred on August 15, 2022 at Bomas of Kenya.
In their statement, they said:“We propose that a commission of inquiry be formed to investigate the unfortunate incidents that occurred on August 15, 2022 in Bomas, Kenya. The inquiry should also uncover the reasons why some of the Commission’s staff were abducted, tortured, or even killed during the election period; identify persons responsible for those atrocities, and thereafter appropriate punishment should be meted out.”
They believe that such an inquiry would bolster the independence of the IEBC and ensure that it maintains the stature contemplated in the Constitution of Kenya.
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