NAIROBI, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has pulled out of hosting this year's Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) Senior Challenge Cup dut to financial problem.
The move throws the regional body in confusion just three months to the annual tournament.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Nick Mwendwa confirmed to Xinhua on Tuesday that the country has no intention of staging the regional competition.
"Kenya will not be able to host the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup due to financial constraints," FKF President Mwendwa said in Nairobi.
Kenya had been handed the rights to host the regional football tournament last year when Harambee Stars were crowned champions edging out Zanzibar on penalty shots.
It was expected they will host the event, which attracts 11 regional teams this year, but Mwendwa said there is no budgetary allocation for the competition.
Alongside Kenya, the regional CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup, the oldest football competition in Africa, has teams drawn from island state of Zanzibar, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Sudan and South Sudan.
Kenya was handed hosting rights for the second straight year even though Zanzibar had expressed interest to organize the annual competition.
CECAFA Secretary General Nicholas Musonye said in Nairobi that he was disappointed by the decision taken by FKF.
"I believe this is sabotage. They are keen to finish us, but we will make more announcement later," said Musonye.
