Ruto Seeks To Transform Kenya Stadiums Into Commercial, Entertainment Centres

By Staff Writer

President William Ruto has pitched sport as a major driver of jobs, tourism and regional investment as Kenya intensified preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be jointly hosted with Uganda and Tanzania.

Speaking during the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Ruto said the East African nations were using the continental football tournament to build a long-term sports economy centred on infrastructure, entertainment, digital media and cross-border trade.

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will mark the first time the tournament is hosted by three East African countries, with the regional partnership operating under the PAMOJA initiative. Governments across the region are investing heavily in stadiums, transport systems, hospitality facilities and training centres ahead of the competition.

Ruto said Kenya was positioning sport as a commercial industry capable of creating employment opportunities for thousands of young people through sectors such as broadcasting, tourism, construction, advertising and technology.

Kenya’s flagship projects include the construction of Talanta Sports City in Nairobi and the upgrading of Kasarani and Nyayo national stadiums to meet Confederation of African Football standards. The government is also developing regional academies and high-performance centres aimed at attracting international events and sports investment into the country.

“Sports can no longer be viewed merely as recreation or competition. Today, sports is an industry. Sports is infrastructure. Sports is investment. Sports is culture, diplomacy, technology, tourism, and jobs,” Ruto said during a summit session focused on sports commercialisation.

The president said the infrastructure projects formed part of Kenya’s broader Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, which seeks to expand employment and position Nairobi as a regional centre for conferences, entertainment and creative industries.

Officials backing the joint AFCON bid have framed the tournament as a wider East African economic integration project designed to boost tourism, trade and regional connectivity. The event is expected to attract teams, officials and supporters from across the continent, driving demand for transport, accommodation and logistics services.

Ruto said Kenya had signed an agreement with the Zaria Group and basketball executive Masai Ujiri to develop a modern arena and entertainment district within Nairobi Railway City. The government is also pursuing a proposed KSh17 billion Global Sports and Infrastructure Platform linked to the Bomas Convention Centre.

The president cited the growing commercial value of African football, saying the 2025 AFCON tournament in Morocco generated nearly KSh245 billion in economic impact while the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast produced about KSh129 billion through tourism, broadcasting and infrastructure spending.

He added that the most recent AFCON tournament attracted more than three billion television viewers globally and generated over 6.1 billion digital and social media views.

“A stadium cannot remain idle six days a week. An arena cannot survive on applause alone,” Ruto said, arguing that sports venues should function as year-round commercial centres integrating retail, hospitality and media production.

The summit also examined regional mobility and tourism ahead of AFCON 2027. Ruto said Kenya had already implemented visa-free access for most African countries and was working with Uganda and Tanzania to strengthen regional tourism and intra-African trade.

The president also promoted Kenya as an emerging hub for sports technology, e-sports and digital broadcasting under the government’s Made in Kenya industrialisation strategy.

“The question is no longer whether Africa can participate in the global sports industry, but whether Africa is ready to shape it, lead it, and derive lasting prosperity for our people and future generations. I believe we are,” Ruto said.

Earlier on Monday, Macron joined Kenyan marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge for a morning run through Nairobi as part of the summit activities focused on sports diplomacy and youth engagement.