Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has asked the Senate Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare to establish what is being done to protect the integrity of Kenya’s next General Election, which will be held while the country is co-hosting the Africa Cup of Nations in June and July 2027.

Parliament set out the request in a statement issued on Wednesday, October 7, 2026. The same statement notes that the tournament window falls when political parties and candidates will be on the campaign trail.

Kenya is staging the competition with Uganda and Tanzania. Parliament has previously confirmed that preparations to host matches are under way.

Omtatah’s questions centre on whether the tournament will crowd out campaigns. He wants the committee to look at how the event could affect access to television, radio, billboards, digital advertising and public venues once the campaign period begins, according to the statement.

He also wants measures to ensure candidates get fair access to advertising space as they compete for visibility with AFCON sponsors, multinational companies and State agencies.

Separately, the senator is seeking clarification on how the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation and other State-owned media outlets will balance their AFCON broadcasting commitments with election coverage. He called for equitable and impartial electoral coverage while those outlets meet their tournament obligations.

Public facilities form another part of the request. Omtatah wants details of the stadiums and other State facilities reserved for AFCON, how that use could affect political campaigns, and how long the facilities will be unavailable for other activities.

The request extends to agreements involving the Confederation of African Football, the AFCON Local Organising Committee, broadcasters and other organisations connected to the tournament.

On foreign involvement, Omtatah sought measures to prevent interference in the electoral process, including unlawful political activity or campaign financing. He wants the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, government agencies, immigration officials and security agencies to explain how they intend to address that risk during the tournament.

The senator further wants the IEBC to engage the government, CAF and other stakeholders ahead of the competition so that football activities and election campaigns can run without undermining the electoral process.

Several details remain unpublished. The specific safeguards under consideration have not been set out, and the terms of the agreements involving CAF, the local organising committee and broadcasters have not been disclosed. It is also not clear whether the IEBC has opened, or will open, the engagement Omtatah is seeking.

Only Parliament’s summary of his request is available; the full text of what he submitted to the committee has not been provided.