President Yoweri Museveni backs single East African visa for 2027 AFCON

President Yoweri Museveni backs single East African visa for 2027 AFCON

President Yoweri Museveni backs single East African visa for 2027 AFCON

Read this story aloud

Listen to the clean text version of this article

Ready
2 min listen
Audio reading is not supported on this browser.

The proposed visa would allow football fans, tourists, match officials and participating teams to travel freely across the three host countries for up to four months without requiring separate entry permits

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has endorsed a proposal to introduce a single East African entry visa for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Uganda will co-host with Kenya and Tanzania.
Museveni, according to a State House statement issued on Thursday, directed officials to begin consultations with their counterparts in Kenya and Tanzania to advance the proposal ahead of the tournament.
The proposed visa would allow football fans, tourists, match officials and participating teams to travel freely across the three host countries for up to four months without requiring separate entry permits.

More To Read

• Countdown begins as expanded WAFCON 2026 nears kick‑off in Morocco
• Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania gear up for historic 2027 AFCON
• Victor Wanyama backs AFCON 2027 to usher in new era for Kenyan football
• Odemba hails team response after Harambee Starlets’ six-goal demolition of Lesotho
• Bajaber and Okoth braces power Harambee Stars to emphatic victory over Lesotho
• Harambee Stars out to end 11-year wait for victory over Lesotho

“This is common sense. I support it [single entry visa],” Museveni said during a meeting with Uganda’s AFCON local organising committee at State House in Entebbe, about 40 km south of the capital, Kampala, on Wednesday.
The proposal was presented by the committee as it briefed the president on progress in Uganda’s preparations for the tournament.
Museveni also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring the successful hosting of the tournament, pledging full financial support, accelerated infrastructure development and closer regional cooperation to deliver Africa’s premier football competition.

Latest Stories

• Kenya’s diplomatic missions under review as MPs adopt oversight reports
• UNICEF cautions that children are adopting AI three times faster than adults
• UN raises alarm over escalating attacks on Sudan’s besieged El Obeid
• Uganda welcomes first batch of evacuees from South Africa

Other Topics To Read

Top Stories Today

• Kenya’s diplomatic missions under review as MPs adopt oversight reports
• 151 Kenyans evacuated from South Africa amid xenophobic violence, intimidation
• UNICEF cautions that children are adopting AI three times faster than adults
• UN raises alarm over escalating attacks on Sudan’s besieged El Obeid
• Uganda welcomes first batch of evacuees from South Africa
• President Yoweri Museveni backs single East African visa for 2027 AFCON

`;
}

return “;
}

function commentActionsMarkup(comment, canComment) {
const likeLabel = comment.liked_by_me ? ‘Liked’ : ‘Like’;
const likeCount = Number(comment.like_count || 0) > 0
? “
: ”;

const likeButton = canComment && comment.status === ‘approved’
? “
: “;

const replyButton = canComment && comment.status === ‘approved’
? “
: ”;

return `

`;
}

function commentMarkup(comment, canComment, isReply = false) {
const pendingBadge = comment.status && comment.status !== ‘approved’
? “
: ”;

const edited = comment.is_edited
? “
: ”;

const repliesHtml = Array.isArray(comment.replies) && comment.replies.length
? `

`
: “;

return `

`;
}

function replyFormMarkup(commentId) {
return `

`;
}

function setNotice(widget, message, type = ‘info’) {
const notice = widget.querySelector(‘[data-role=”notice”]’);
if (!notice) return;

if (!message) {
notice.hidden = true;
notice.textContent = ”;
notice.classList.remove(‘is-error’);
return;
}

notice.hidden = false;
notice.textContent = message;
notice.classList.toggle(‘is-error’, type === ‘error’);
}

function setCount(widget, total) {
const count = widget.querySelector(‘[data-role=”count”]’);
if (!count) return;

const num = Number(total || 0);
count.textContent = num === 1 ? ‘1 comment’ : `${num} comments`;
}

function openReplyBox(widget, commentId) {
widget.querySelectorAll(‘[data-role=”reply-box”]’).forEach(box => {
box.hidden = true;
box.innerHTML = ”;
});

const targetItem = widget.querySelector(`.ev-comments__item[data-comment-id=”${commentId}”]`);
if (!targetItem) return;

const replyBox = targetItem.querySelector(‘[data-role=”reply-box”]’);
if (!replyBox) return;

replyBox.hidden = false;
replyBox.innerHTML = replyFormMarkup(commentId);

const textarea = replyBox.querySelector(‘textarea’);
if (textarea) textarea.focus();
}

function closeReplyBox(container) {
if (!container) return;
container.hidden = true;
container.innerHTML = ”;
}

async function initCommentsWidget(widget) {
const state = {
articleId: Number(widget.dataset.articleId),
loadUrl: widget.dataset.loadUrl,
storeUrl: widget.dataset.storeUrl,
commentsBaseUrl: widget.dataset.commentsBaseUrl,
canComment: widget.dataset.canComment === ‘1’,
page: 1,
perPage: 10,
sort: ‘newest’,
total: 0,
hasMore: false,
busy: false
};

const list = widget.querySelector(‘[data-role=”list”]’);
const loading = widget.querySelector(‘[data-role=”loading”]’);
const empty = widget.querySelector(‘[data-role=”empty”]’);
const loadMoreBtn = widget.querySelector(‘[data-role=”load-more”]’);
const sortSelect = widget.querySelector(‘[data-role=”sort”]’);
const composerForm = widget.querySelector(‘[data-role=”composer-form”]’);

async function loadComments(reset = true) {
if (state.busy) return;

state.busy = true;
setNotice(widget, ”);
loading.hidden = false;

if (reset) {
state.page = 1;
list.innerHTML = ”;
empty.hidden = true;
}

try {
const url = new URL(state.loadUrl, window.location.origin);
url.searchParams.set(‘page’, state.page);
url.searchParams.set(‘per_page’, state.perPage);
url.searchParams.set(‘sort’, state.sort);

const response = await requestJson(url.toString(), {
method: ‘GET’,
headers: {
‘Accept’: ‘application/json’,
‘X-Requested-With’: ‘XMLHttpRequest’
}
});

const items = Array.isArray(response.data) ? response.data : [];
const meta = response.meta || {};

state.total = Number(meta.total || 0);
state.hasMore = !!meta.has_more;

setCount(widget, state.total);

if (reset) {
list.innerHTML = ”;
}

if (!items.length && reset) {
empty.hidden = false;
} else {
empty.hidden = true;
list.insertAdjacentHTML(
‘beforeend’,
items.map(item => commentMarkup(item, state.canComment, false)).join(”)
);
}

loadMoreBtn.hidden = !state.hasMore;
} catch (error) {
if (!list.children.length) {
empty.hidden = false;
empty.textContent = ‘Unable to load comments right now.’;
}
setNotice(widget, error.message || ‘Unable to load comments.’, ‘error’);
} finally {
loading.hidden = true;
state.busy = false;
}
}

async function submitTopLevelComment(form) {
const textarea = form.querySelector(‘textarea[name=”content”]’);
const button = form.querySelector(‘[data-role=”submit-comment”]’);

if (!textarea) return;

const content = textarea.value.trim();
if (!content) return;

const originalText = button ? button.textContent : ”;

try {
if (button) {
button.disabled = true;
button.textContent = ‘Posting…’;
}

const response = await requestJson(state.storeUrl, {
method: ‘POST’,
headers: buildJsonHeaders(),
body: JSON.stringify({
article_id: state.articleId,
content: content,
source_url: window.location.href
})
});

textarea.value = ”;

if (response?.data) {
list.insertAdjacentHTML(
‘afterbegin’,
commentMarkup(response.data, state.canComment, false)
);
empty.hidden = true;

if ((response.data.status || ”) === ‘approved’) {
state.total += 1;
setCount(widget, state.total);
}
}

setNotice(widget, response.message || ‘Comment posted successfully.’);
} catch (error) {
setNotice(widget, error.message || ‘Unable to post comment.’, ‘error’);
} finally {
if (button) {
button.disabled = false;
button.textContent = originalText || ‘Post comment’;
}
}
}

async function submitReply(form) {
const commentId = Number(form.dataset.commentId || 0);
const textarea = form.querySelector(‘textarea[name=”content”]’);
const button = form.querySelector(‘.ev-comments__reply-submit’);

if (!commentId || !textarea) return;

const content = textarea.value.trim();
if (!content) return;

const originalText = button ? button.textContent : ”;

try {
if (button) {
button.disabled = true;
button.textContent = ‘Posting…’;
}

const response = await requestJson(`${state.commentsBaseUrl}/${commentId}/reply`, {
method: ‘POST’,
headers: buildJsonHeaders(),
body: JSON.stringify({
article_id: state.articleId,
content: content,
source_url: window.location.href
})
});

if (response?.data) {
const parentItem = widget.querySelector(`.ev-comments__item[data-comment-id=”${commentId}”]`);
if (parentItem) {
const repliesWrap = parentItem.querySelector(‘.ev-comments__replies’);
if (repliesWrap) {
repliesWrap.insertAdjacentHTML(
‘beforeend’,
commentMarkup(response.data, state.canComment, true)
);
}
}
}

closeReplyBox(form.closest(‘[data-role=”reply-box”]’));
setNotice(widget, response.message || ‘Reply posted successfully.’);
} catch (error) {
setNotice(widget, error.message || ‘Unable to post reply.’, ‘error’);
} finally {
if (button) {
button.disabled = false;
button.textContent = originalText || ‘Post reply’;
}
}
}

async function toggleLike(button) {
const commentId = Number(button.dataset.commentId || 0);
if (!commentId) return;

const originalHtml = button.innerHTML;

try {
button.disabled = true;
button.innerHTML = ‘Working…’;

const response = await requestJson(`${state.commentsBaseUrl}/${commentId}/like`, {
method: ‘POST’,
headers: buildJsonHeaders(),
body: JSON.stringify({})
});

const liked = !!response?.data?.liked;
const likeCount = Number(response?.data?.like_count || 0);

button.classList.toggle(‘is-liked’, liked);
button.innerHTML = `${liked ? ‘Liked’ : ‘Like’} ${likeCount > 0 ? “ : ”}`;
} catch (error) {
button.innerHTML = originalHtml;
setNotice(widget, error.message || ‘Unable to update like.’, ‘error’);
} finally {
button.disabled = false;
}
}

if (composerForm) {
composerForm.addEventListener(‘submit’, function (e) {
e.preventDefault();
submitTopLevelComment(composerForm);
});
}

if (sortSelect) {
sortSelect.addEventListener(‘change’, function () {
state.sort = this.value || ‘newest’;
loadComments(true);
});
}

if (loadMoreBtn) {
loadMoreBtn.addEventListener(‘click’, function () {
if (state.busy || !state.hasMore) return;
state.page += 1;
loadComments(false);
});
}

widget.addEventListener(‘click’, function (e) {
const likeBtn = e.target.closest(‘[data-action=”toggle-like”]’);
if (likeBtn) {
e.preventDefault();
toggleLike(likeBtn);
return;
}

const replyBtn = e.target.closest(‘[data-action=”toggle-reply”]’);
if (replyBtn) {
e.preventDefault();
openReplyBox(widget, Number(replyBtn.dataset.commentId || 0));
return;
}

const cancelReplyBtn = e.target.closest(‘[data-action=”cancel-reply”]’);
if (cancelReplyBtn) {
e.preventDefault();
closeReplyBox(cancelReplyBtn.closest(‘[data-role=”reply-box”]’));
}
});

widget.addEventListener(‘submit’, function (e) {
const replyForm = e.target.closest(‘.ev-comments__reply-form’);
if (replyForm) {
e.preventDefault();
submitReply(replyForm);
}
});

loadComments(true);
}

document.addEventListener(‘DOMContentLoaded’, function () {
document.querySelectorAll(‘.ev-comments’).forEach(initCommentsWidget);
});
})();

Trending

UN raises alarm over escalating attacks on Sudan’s besieged El ObeidNews
|UN News
|32 minutes ago
President Yoweri Museveni backs single East African visa for 2027 AFCONSports
|XINHUA
|1 hour ago

Rwanda to use Kenya’s fuel storage under new import dealBusiness
|The New Times
|4 hours ago

KFS announces public participation on Imenti Forest airstrip despite court caseNews
|Rachael Mutabasi
|1 hour ago

Uganda welcomes first batch of evacuees from South AfricaNews
|Mary Wambui
|50 minutes ago

Portugal edge Croatia in dramatic finish to book last-16 spotSports
|The New Times
|4 hours ago

UNICEF cautions that children are adopting AI three times faster than adultsNews
|Mary Wambui
|15 minutes ago

Cancer tumors turn immune cells from fighters into feeders – studyHealth
|XINHUA
|1 hour ago

World Cup of firsts: How 2026 edition in US, Canada and Mexico is rewriting historyNews
|Erick Kariuki
|4 hours ago
Rabies outbreak triggers disputed mass dog killings in Ethiopian townEthiopia
|Bashir Mbuthia
|1 hour ago