Former Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Vice President Sammy Shollei has raised concerns over crowd control during the ongoing African Nations Champions (CHAN) cohosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on the night of Wednesday, August 13, 2025, Shollei warned that without proactive measures, the matches hosted at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, could descend into disorder.

He stressed that it was “too late” to instil discipline in supporters at this stage and instead proposed a radical security approach — screening fans at least five kilometres from the stadium gates.

“For this particular competition, it is going to be difficult to instill discipline in the fans because it is too late. If we can bring them in, then we station them about 5 km away from the stadium so that whoever is coming to the stadium has to be checked from the other side, just to make sure that they have the tickets to come to the stadium. Otherwise, if we don’t do that, it’s going to be a mess,” Shollei said.

He noted that security teams often find themselves overwhelmed when large crowds surge toward the stadium, making last-minute checks ineffective.

Shollei argued that placing a preliminary security perimeter far from the venue would ensure only ticket holders reach the gates, significantly reducing congestion and potential stampedes.

“Security people are overpowered by fans coming into the stadium. If we don’t control them like 5 km away from the stadium, it’s going to be a mess,” he said.

FKF plea to fans

Shollei’s remarks come hours after the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) pleaded with Harambee Stars fans to support the national football team responsibly at the ongoing CHAN 2024 tournament.

Taking to their official social media pages on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, FKF urged football enthusiasts to abide by the CAF-stipulated guidelines during match days to avoid attracting strict penalties from the continent’s football governing body over safety and security breaches.

“Fans, let us support the Harambee Stars responsibly this Sunday against Zambia and in all upcoming games. Crowd trouble is costing us dearly, and we are facing heavy sanctions. Only show up at Kasarani if you have a genuine ticket. Let us not destroy the game we have struggled to build,” FKF said.

CAF fines

This is after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Disciplinary Board charged the FKF with multiple safety and security breaches during Kenya’s CAF CHAN match against Morocco at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, last weekend.

During the particular match played on Sunday, August 10, 2025, ticketless fans overpowered security agencies at the Kasarani Stadium and forced themselves into the stadium against the guidelines of CAF on security and safety at CHAN 2024.

Following the occurrence, FKF was slapped with a Ksh6.4 million fine on Wednesday, August 13, 2025.

“The Disciplinary Board found Kenya guilty and imposed a fine of USD 50,000 (Ksh 6.4 million) on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, on Kenya’s football governing body, FKF. 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. Kenya was advised to increase security measures by deploying sufficient personnel within the perimeter of the stadium, as well as adhering to the road closures on match days,” CAF said in a statement.