The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) was fined Sh6.5 million ($50,000) by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Disciplinary Board for several safety and security violations during Kenya’s match against Morocco at the Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani during the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).
CAF found Kenya guilty of failing to meet the safety and security requirements necessary to host an international match.
According to reports, the violations included insufficient security guards within the stadium and disregard for important safety procedures, such as the required road closures on match days.
These mistakes endangered players, officials and spectators, and compromised the competition’s legitimacy, the disciplinary board stressed.
Kenya received a severe warning from CAF that if safety and security regulations continue to be broken, home games for the national team may be moved to a different location.
“Kenya was warned that continued failure to meet CAF safety and security requirements may lead to the relocation of Kenya’s national team matches to an alternative venue,” reads a statement from CAF in part.
The federation also fined Morocco for what they termed ‘misconduct’ during the same game.
The CAF Disciplinary Board fined the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) $5,000 for the inappropriate conduct of its players during Morocco’s match against Kenya. Half of this amount ($2,500) was suspended on the condition that no similar offence is committed for the remainder of CHAN 2024.
These decisions emphasise the governing body’s commitment to organisational and athletic discipline, reminding teams and federations that they are responsible for the behaviour of their staff, players and supporters.
According to CAF, the fine must be paid within 60 days of notification.
The governing body directed FKF to strengthen security by deploying more personnel within the stadium perimeter and enforcing road closures on match days.
This follows earlier warnings and a Sh2.5 million fine for similar incidents during Kenya’s tournament opener against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on August 3.
As an additional measure, CAF has capped attendance at Kenya’s remaining home matches in Kasarani at 27,000 spectators (60 per cent of the venue’s capacity), and access will be strictly limited to electronic ticket holders only. Thermal paper tickets are now banned.
These restrictions have been introduced in response to repeated failures in crowd control, including fans breaching gates without tickets, overrunning the perimeter fence, inadequate police intervention and unsafe conditions inside and around the stadium.
