Kenyan sports official charged over alleged 2018 Chan corruption

A former senior Kenyan sports official has been charged with abuse of office over alleged corruption linked to the country’s failed bid to host the 2018 African Nations Championship (Chan).

Peter Kaberia, who served as the effective second-in-command at Kenya’s Ministry of Sport between 2016 and 2018, appeared before a court in Nairobi on Tuesday and denied the allegations.

He was released on bail.

Kenya’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said it had approved graft-related charges against Kaberia over the alleged misappropriation of 330 million Kenyan shillings allocated for preparations to host the tournament.

The charges include abuse of office, unlawful acquisition of public property and financial misconduct.

Nine other people, including government officials and businessmen, have also been charged, according to the ODPP.

The case follows a police investigation into the alleged misuse of about $1.7m (£1.3m) earmarked for preparations for the tournament.

Kenya had been awarded the right to host the 2018 Chan, a competition for players competing in their domestic leagues, but the Confederation of African Football (Caf) later withdrew the hosting rights after inspectors found that only one of the country’s four proposed stadiums was ready.

Kenya’s Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) alleges that Kaberia was involved in awarding a contract for the installation of security, communications and lighting systems at the stadiums.

According to the anti-corruption agency, an advance payment of about 330 million shillings was made to a company despite the contract allegedly not having been properly procured.

The allegations relate to the preparations that ultimately failed to deliver the infrastructure required for Kenya to stage the competition.

Morocco was subsequently awarded hosting rights for the 2018 Chan and went on to win the tournament.

Kenya eventually hosted the Chan alongside Uganda and Tanzania in 2025, with matches played across four cities in the three East African countries.

The three nations are also preparing to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The corruption case adds to longstanding concerns over financial management within Kenyan sport, with football in particular having faced repeated allegations of mismanagement and graft.

Kaberia and the other accused will now face court proceedings over the alleged misuse of public funds.