Kenya may have fallen short of qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, but the nation is far from absent at Africa’s biggest football spectacle. Kenya’s presence has come through the authority of match officials trusted to control the game at its highest level.

At the center of that responsibility is Dr Peter Waweru Kamaku, a pure and applied mathematics don at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. His selection to officiate at AFCON has placed Kenya squarely inside the tournament’s most watched moments across the world.

As Kenyan fans, his colleagues and students watch the tournament there is quiet satisfaction in seeing compatriots at the very heart of the action, enforcing the laws of the game.

Dr Kamaku’s journey to this stage is one defined by consistency and discipline. Away from the roar of the stadium, he is an accomplished academic. He serves as a senior lecturer and Director of Sports and Games at JKUAT.

His rise through refereeing ranks has been steady and earned. From local competitions to the Kenyan Premier League and eventually to the international stage; after attaining FIFA accreditation status. Dr Kamaku has built a reputation rooted in passion for football. These qualities have seen him repeatedly entrusted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) with assignments at the highest level, culminating in his current role at AFCON 2025.

Perhaps most symbolic has been his leadership within an all-Kenyan officiating team at the tournament.

Dr. Kamaku expressed his gratitude to the JKUAT family for their continued support and the opportunity to fly the institution’s flag high in the world’s most popular sport. He remains equally committed to mentoring young referees through the establishment of a refereeing academy, ensuring that Kenya’s progress in officiating is sustained beyond individual success.