Uganda has registered 850 suppliers for AFCON 2027 pre-qualification, but the sources reviewed show no comparable Kenyan portal yet. CAF’s supplier registration covers goods and services it procures directly, separate from local committee tenders. Kenya’s preparations are also clouded by a dispute at the Football Kenya Federation.
CAF launched a Request for Information in May 2026 inviting African firms to register for its supplier database for the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027. The exercise is monitored by the local organising committees of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda’s committee has stressed that the process covers goods and services CAF buys directly, not the committee’s own contracts.
Uganda’s committee has been more active in recruiting suppliers. Its chairperson for communications, Dennis Mugimba, said 850 suppliers had registered for pre-qualification and 650 service providers had been selected. Registration through the Uganda portal is free, and the committee has said its first tenders were expected between September and October 2026.
CAF has also said some services, including ticketing and television broadcasting, will be procured directly under a single supplier arrangement covering all three host countries. That means many of the largest contracts may not be open to local firms through national committees. Businesses in each country will need to check which buyer is running each tender.
Kenya’s supplier position is less clear. The sources reviewed do not show a Kenyan supplier registration portal, although the government gazetted a 38-member national steering committee and a Local Organising Committee chaired by Nicholas Musonye in March 2026. In July, Musonye told reporters that all CHAN procurement had been handled by the Ministry of Sports rather than the committee, which suggests a similar arrangement may apply to AFCON tenders.
The wider backdrop is a governance dispute at the Football Kenya Federation. Its National Executive Committee voted to suspend president Hussein Mohammed on April 24, 2026, and FIFA has opened an investigation. Parliament’s Sports Committee warned in May that procurement disputes could derail AFCON 2027 preparations. The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority later closed its probe into a Sh42 million CHAN matter, ruling that no public funds were used.
Tournament organisers say the event could bring economic gains for East Africa and some regional business leaders have urged organisers to give priority to local companies. Whether Kenyan firms benefit will depend on how quickly tenders open and how transparently they are awarded.
The next milestones will be the opening of Kenyan supplier tenders, any Ministry notice on procurement, and the outcome of the FIFA and PPRA processes. Kenyan businesses should watch for official notices from the Ministry of Sports and the local committee before the tournament starts on June 19, 2027.
