Senator Okiya Omtatah Flags AFCON 2027 Election Overlap and Road Project Delays

Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has asked the Senate Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare to examine how the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled for June 19 to July 27, 2027, may overlap with the General Election campaign period and affect the integrity of the electoral process.

He urged the committee to outline measures that would safeguard impartiality, ensure fair political participation, control campaign costs and guarantee equitable access to advertising on television, radio, billboards and digital platforms, noting that competition from AFCON sponsors and State agencies could raise costs for candidates with less funding.

Omtatah also sought clarification on how the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation and other State-owned media will balance AFCON broadcasting commitments with election coverage, especially during prime-time, and asked for details of steps by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, government, immigration and security agencies to prevent foreign interference, including unlawful political activity or financing involving players, officials or sponsors.

He requested information on public stadia and other State facilities reserved for AFCON, the duration of their use and the agreements with the Confederation of African Football, the AFCON Local Organising Committee, the Stadia Management Board and broadcasters, to assess any impact on campaign activities and public resource use during the election period.

In a separate request, Omtatah asked the Senate Standing Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing to investigate delays and quality concerns on the Musikoma-Buyofu-Mungatsi-Myanga-Mateka Road (Road Works Contract 115), a project valued at KSh1.961 billion that was due for completion in September 2018 but remains unfinished eight years later.

He called for a full chronology of the contract from procurement to date, including original and revised completion dates, extensions, reasons for delays and the current status, as well as details of all appropriations, releases, commitments, certifications, payments and Interim Payment Certificates to reconcile expenditure with physical progress.

Omtatah also questioned the 2026 Tender No. RWC 1066 for Phase 2 of the same road, seeking legal, financial and technical justification for the new procurement despite the existing KSh1.961 billion contract, and demanded an independent engineering audit of completed works covering pavement thickness, material quality, compaction, drainage and compliance with approved specifications.

He further asked for information on inspections carried out before acceptance, defects-liability terms, any reported defects and whether retention money or performance security remains available to compel the contractor to undertake necessary repairs, urging measures to complete the road within defined timelines and standards without exposing taxpayers to unjustified additional costs.