Kenya will have a strong presence at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco after four match officials were selected by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to officiate at the continental showpiece.
Leading the Kenyan contingent is Peter Kamaku Waweru, who has been appointed as a centre referee. He will be joined by video match official Dickens Mimisa, and assistant referees Gilbert Cheruiyot Kipkoech and Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed, on November 27, 2025, congratulated the officials and described their selection as a proud moment for the country and a reflection of the steady progress of Kenyan officiating on the continental stage.
“Congratulations to our four Kenyan referees appointed for the 2025 @CAF_Online Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. This prestigious assignment is a proud moment for the country and a clear reflection of your professionalism, consistency, and the steady progress of Kenyan officiating on the continental stage. Keep flying the flag high.”
The four now join an elite pool of African referees trusted with handling matches at Africa’s biggest football tournament. Their selection follows years of consistent performance in CAF and FIFA competitions.
AFCON 2025 will be staged across multiple venues in Morocco, including the Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, the Fez Stadium, the Adrar Stadium in Agadir, the Marrakech Stadium, and the Ibn Battuta Stadium in Tangier.
Host nation Morocco will open the tournament against Comoros on December 21 before facing Mali on December 25 in Rabat. The final is scheduled for January 18, 2026.
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CAF has appointed a total of 73 officials for the tournament, comprising 28 referees, 31 assistant referees and 14 Video Assistant Referee (VAR) officials.
All appointed officials are expected to arrive in Morocco on December 15, 2025, for an intensive preparatory course led by CAF’s Referees Department, focusing on physical fitness, technical proficiency, and theoretical assessments.
Kenya’s four officials are part of this elite group selected to oversee matches at Africa’s premier football competition.
Peter Kamaku Waweru: AFCON 2025 centre referee
Waweru’s appointment follows an outstanding year in which he was selected for a high-level CAF referees’ training camp in Cairo in October. The camp focused on advanced match management, VAR coordination, and physical readiness ahead of AFCON.
A FIFA-accredited referee since 2017, Waweru has officiated at the highest levels of the game, including the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil, multiple AFCON tournaments, CAF Champions League matches, and FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He also took charge of the 2021 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) final between Morocco and Mali.
Away from football, Waweru is a Professor of Pure Mathematics at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), where he serves as Director of Sports and Games.
He holds a PhD in Pure Mathematics and previously played as a goalkeeper for the university team before transitioning to full-time refereeing in 2013.
Dickens Mimisa: Video match official
Dickens Mimisa has been appointed as one of the video match officials, continuing his rise in CAF’s VAR structures. A FIFA-accredited official, Mimisa has previously served as a centre referee in domestic competitions, including high-profile Kenyan Premier League fixtures.
He was also selected as a video match official for the 2024 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN), where Kenyan referees featured prominently. Mimisa is widely recognised for his expertise in VAR operations and has spoken about the role of video technology in improving decision-making in African football.
Besides officiating matches, Mimisa is a qualified civil engineer specialising in structural and highways engineering and is an alumnus of JKUAT.
Gilbert Cheruiyot Kipkoech: Assistant referee
On his part, Gilbert Cheruiyot Kipkoech brings extensive international experience to the AFCON officiating team. A FIFA-listed assistant referee since 2013, Cheruiyot began his refereeing career in 2008 and has since officiated in numerous major tournaments.
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His assignments include the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, three AFCON editions (2019, 2021, and 2023), FIFA World Cup qualifiers and CAF Champions League matches, including the 2024/25 final.
In 2025, he was also selected by FIFA to officiate at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, serving as first assistant referee for the third-place playoff match. Cheruiyot is a History and Geography teacher by profession.
Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe: Assistant referee
Stephen Yiembe completes the Kenyan quartet as an assistant referee. He earned his FIFA badge in 2018 after beginning his refereeing career in 2012 and has steadily built a strong international profile.
In 2025, Yiembe officiated at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, handling high-profile matches involving Inter Milan, Urawa Red Diamonds, Real Madrid, and RB Salzburg.
Earlier in the year, he served as second assistant referee in the CAF Champions League final between Pyramids FC of Egypt and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in Cairo.
Yiembe was also part of the Kenyan officiating team at the 2024 CHAN tournament, where he served as a Video Assistant Referee.
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