The group stage of the 2012 CECAFA Cup began on 24 November 2012 and ended on 1 December 2012. The matchdays were 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 November and 1 December.
The group stage featured 11 CECAFA associations and COSAFA member Malawi 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.
Tournament organizers moved the remaining group games from the Namboole Stadium as it had been in bad shape due to heavy rains. It was confirmed that on Saturday, 1 December, the Somalia–Tanzania and Eritrea–Rwanda fixtures were moved to the Lugogo Stadium. On the same day, the Sudan–Burundi and Malawi–Zanzibar fixtures were also moved to the Wankulukulu Stadium.
Tiebreakers
The order of tie-breakers used when two or more teams have equal number of points is: