Kenya made a request for inclusion in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations to the Confederation of African Football on Monday.
After Fifa suspended the Kenya Football Federation (FKF) in February of last year, accusing the government of interfering in sport when it dissolved the national governing body, Kenya was barred from the competition.
The Kenyan government decided to reestablish the FKF, which had been disbanded due to allegations of corruption, and Fifa concurred to lift the suspension in November of last year.
Ababu Namwamba, Kenya’s minister of sports, said to a group from Fifa and CAF that his country was not interested in managing football directly, only in making sure it was done so professionally.
“Football has its own infrastructure to manage the affairs of football,” he said at a joint press briefing with the visiting football officials.
“This government only wants proper laws, accountability, good governance and transparency from those who lead football in order to attract sponsors.”
According to reports, the minister said Kenya wanted to take part in the 2023 Africa Cup, with a qualifier between Kenya and Cameroon pencilled in for March.
“We have made it very clear to both CAF and Fifa that Kenyan football is at rock bottom. I believe Fifa and CAF will be considerate in Kenya’s peculiar situation,” Namwamba said.
“It was a special circumstance that led to the suspension of (national team) Harambee Stars from the qualifiers,” he added.
Before the suspension, Kenya had been drawn in Group C of the qualifiers which kicked off in August last year, alongside Burundi, Cameroon and Namibia.
CAF legal counsel Nadim Magdy, who was part of the delegation, said the continent’s football governing body would meet “soon” to discuss Kenya’s request.