Popular Kenyan referee Peter Waweru Kamaku is among the lucky individuals who have been picked to officiate at the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) scheduled to take place from Friday, January 13 to Saturday, February 4, 2023.
According to a press statement issued by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) on Monday, December 5, 2022, Waweru will serve as a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) official in the championship.
“Kenyan referee Peter Kamaku has been picked by CAF to officiate at the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) starting January 2023 in Algeria.
Also Read: Why I Ditched the Goalkeeping Role to Become Referee - Peter Waweru
“Kamaku is a FIFA referee and all other Kenyan officials were not considered for World Cup Qatar 2022 because of Kenya’s suspension by FIFA.
Kamaku has been named as a VAR official for the tournament,” part of the statement from FKF read.
Speaking after the announcement, Waweru thanked the government for the role it played to ensure Kenya gets recognized by the world governing football body.
“It is a favor from above. This is good news for me: Africa is big and wide so it’s an honour to be chosen.
“It’s a chance to grow my career and it’s good news for the country as well. Hopefully, this will help inspire young people to become referees.
“I thank the government for helping to lift the FIFA suspension. This is a direct result of that action. It means Kenyan officials can now be selected for CAF and FIFA duty again,” he ended.
Waweru, who is the first Kenyan referee to hold a PhD degree, started officiating domestic matches in 2013.
Due to his dedication and passion for the profession, he was listed as a FIFA referee in 2017.
Some of the high profile tournaments that the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) lecturer officiated include the 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), 2019 Under 17 World Cup and 2019 Under 20 AFCON.