The group stage of the 2013 CECAFA Cup began on 27 November and ended on 5 December. The matchdays were 27–29 November, 30 November–2 December and 3–5 December. The group stage featured 11 CECAFA associations and COSAFA member Zambia as the invited association. Teams were drawn into groups of four, where the top two teams from each group and the two best third-placed teams would advance to the knockout stage. Group stage matches were scheduled to be held in Nairobi, Machakos and Nakuru.