Interior Cabinet Secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen, has called on Kenyans to abide by the regulations put in place by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The CS urged Kenyans to respect CAF regulations to avoid more penalties, as has been experienced in the past two games played by Harambee Stars at Kasarani Stadium, Nairobi.

Speaking during Jukwaa la Usalama in Nakuru, Murkomen appealed to football fans not to flout the federation’s regulations to enable the national team to reach the finals.

“I would like to ask Kenyans for the sake of our team, if we want Harambee Stars to reach finals, let’s respect regulations put in place by CAF,” he said.

The CS said that the fans are important as they offer moral support to the players.

“We don’t want to miss the opportunity where our team plays without our fans, from a security perspective we would like to beg Kenyans to avoid going to the stadium without tickets,” he said.

The CS warned that what has been happening at the stadium was bad for the country and creates security challenges.

He said that, for instance, if the stadium exceeded the required capacity, it would spark chaos and cause a security nightmare.

The penalties of reducing the capacity, the CS said, will be solved by fans buying tickets through the right channels.

Murkomen called on the Ministry of Sports, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, and other governors across the country, to erect screens in various places to enable Kenyans to watch the CHAN 2024 matches to ease the pressure to access the stadium.

“Of importance, we should all abide by the rules and protect our team, security, and integrity as a country. This is just a curtain raiser of 2027 where the country will be hosting the African Cup of Nations,” he added.

He cautioned against defiance to avoid being banned from hosting the 2027 event.

The CS assured that enough security was in place to enforce the security measures put in place by CAF.

He said that CAF had highlighted security regulations which had been flouted by Kenyan fans, and reduced the Kasarani Stadium capacity.

During the two games, Kenyans forced their way into the stadium, exceeding the required capacity.