Uganda Mulls Over Visa-Free AFCON 2027 As Soccer Unites Africa
By Black Star News Photos: Wikimedia Commons The power of the game of football is stimulating plans to have a single visa across East Africa’s three original partner States—Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania—for the duration of four months as they invest in preparedness for the African Cup of Nations, 2027. Sometimes called AFCON 2027 or CAN 2027, the 36th edition of the African football tournament is organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a biennial tournament. In September 2023, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania successfully bid to co-host the tournament from June 19 to July 17, 2027. “For East Africa to come together to invite the African Cup of Nations here is very good. It will promote our countries and tourism will also increase,” Uganda’s leader, Gen Yoweri Museveni, said in 2023 following the successful bidding process by the three East African countries under the ‘the East Africa Pamoja Bid’. The Pamoja concept which means “together” in Swahili, embodies the vision of the East African Community: to bring Africa together through the power of football. The 36th edition of the tournament is an inaugural one to be hosted by three countries as well as the first-ever in 50 years to be organized in the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) region since Ethiopia played host in 1976. CECAFA is the regional governing body for association football in East and Central Africa and is the oldest sub-regional football organization on the continent Equally important of note is that this event is part of the Africa Cup of Nations’ 70th anniversary and the very last one to be held in odd-numbered years, as CAF announced in December 2025 that AFCON would become a quadrennial tournament from 2028 onwards. The presiding defending champions are the Moroccans having run away with the title in 2025. According to a press release from State House, during a high-level meeting with the AFCON Local Organising Committee at State House, Entebbe on July 1, Museveni assured officials that the government would provide all the necessary funding and technical support required to meet the strict timelines set by CAF. One of the major outcomes of the meeting was, according to the press statement, Museveni’s endorsement of a proposal to introduce a common East African entry visa for the duration of the tournament. The proposed visa would allow football fans, tourists, officials and participating teams to move freely between Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania for four months without requiring separate entry permits. “This is common sense. I support it,” Museveni said, and directed that discussions be initiated with his counterparts in Kenya and Tanzania to make the arrangement possible before the tournament kicks off in a year’s time. Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja mooted the proposal as she delivered a comprehensive progress report on Uganda’s preparations towards the game. Nabbanja said “this issue of the entry visa is very important. If somebody is coming to Uganda, they should also be able to access Kenya and Tanzania using the same visa for four months.” Uganda offered visa-free entrance to the Democratic Republic of Congo citizens since January 1, 2024. The statement quotes the Acting Commissioner for Citizenship and Immigration Control, Col. Geoffrey Brian Kambere, informing Museveni that Uganda already operates a similar arrangement with Kenya and Rwanda under the Coalition of the Willing framework. “That is the spirit of Africa—having one visa so that people can move freely within East Africa. Currently, the arrangement exists between Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda. The objective now is to mobilize our neighbors under the Pamoja arrangement so that Tanzania also joins,” Col. Kambere is quoted as telling his Commander-In-Chief. The Coalition of the Willing is a 2013 mintage that presupposed the accelerated and fast-tracking of the East African Community political federation by Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda in the exclusion of Tanzania and Burundi who were seen to be dragging their feet toward the regional total and complete unity. The July 1 meeting also highlighted the enormous task ahead as Uganda works to complete key infrastructure projects before CAF’s next inspection scheduled for August 31. The Pamoja bid fits strategically as it is in line with African Union Agenda 2063, and East Africa Community Vision 2050 which aims to achieve sustainable development for all.
Black News 
By Black Star News
Photos: Wikimedia Commons
The power of the game of football is stimulating plans to have a single visa across East Africa’s three original partner States—Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania—for the duration of four months as they invest in preparedness for the African Cup of Nations, 2027.
Sometimes called AFCON 2027 or CAN 2027, the 36th edition of the African football tournament is organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a biennial tournament. In September 2023, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania successfully bid to co-host the tournament from June 19 to July 17, 2027. “For East Africa to come together to invite the African Cup of Nations here is very good. It will promote our countries and tourism will also increase,” Uganda’s leader, Gen Yoweri Museveni, said in 2023 following the successful bidding process by the three East African countries under the ‘the East Africa Pamoja Bid’.
The Pamoja concept which means “together” in Swahili, embodies the vision of the East African Community: to bring Africa together through the power of football.
The 36th edition of the tournament is an inaugural one to be hosted by three countries as well as the first-ever in 50 years to be organized in the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) region since Ethiopia played host in 1976. CECAFA is the regional governing body for association football in East and Central Africa and is the oldest sub-regional football organization on the continent
Equally important of note is that this event is part of the Africa Cup of Nations’ 70th anniversary and the very last one to be held in odd-numbered years, as CAF announced in December 2025 that AFCON would become a quadrennial tournament from 2028 onwards. The presiding defending champions are the Moroccans having run away with the title in 2025.
According to a press release from State House, during a high-level meeting with the AFCON Local Organising Committee at State House, Entebbe on July 1, Museveni assured officials that the government would provide all the necessary funding and technical support required to meet the strict timelines set by CAF. One of the major outcomes of the meeting was, according to the press statement, Museveni’s endorsement of a proposal to introduce a common East African entry visa for the duration of the tournament. The proposed visa would allow football fans, tourists, officials and participating teams to move freely between Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania for four months without requiring separate entry permits.
“This is common sense. I support it,” Museveni said, and directed that discussions be initiated with his counterparts in Kenya and Tanzania to make the arrangement possible before the tournament kicks off in a year’s time. Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja mooted the proposal as she delivered a comprehensive progress report on Uganda’s preparations towards the game.
Nabbanja said “this issue of the entry visa is very important. If somebody is coming to Uganda, they should also be able to access Kenya and Tanzania using the same visa for four months.” Uganda offered visa-free entrance to the Democratic Republic of Congo citizens since January 1, 2024.
The statement quotes the Acting Commissioner for Citizenship and Immigration Control, Col. Geoffrey Brian Kambere, informing Museveni that Uganda already operates a similar arrangement with Kenya and Rwanda under the Coalition of the Willing framework.
“That is the spirit of Africa—having one visa so that people can move freely within East Africa. Currently, the arrangement exists between Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda. The objective now is to mobilize our neighbors under the Pamoja arrangement so that Tanzania also joins,” Col. Kambere is quoted as telling his Commander-In-Chief.
The Coalition of the Willing is a 2013 mintage that presupposed the accelerated and fast-tracking of the East African Community political federation by Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda in the exclusion of Tanzania and Burundi who were seen to be dragging their feet toward the regional total and complete unity.
The July 1 meeting also highlighted the enormous task ahead as Uganda works to complete key infrastructure projects before CAF’s next inspection scheduled for August 31.
The Pamoja bid fits strategically as it is in line with African Union Agenda 2063, and East Africa Community Vision 2050 which aims to achieve sustainable development for all.
