President William Ruto has announced that the 60,000-seater Talanta Stadium in Nairobi will officially open on January 5, 2027, with a historic football match between German giants Bayern Munich and Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam.
The President said the two clubs have won the European championship 10 times between them, describing the fixture as a fitting start for the new facility, which is expected to play a central role in Kenya’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
“Two years ago, I promised the people of Kenya a world-class stadium where the greatest teams in the world would come to play. Today, we are keeping that promise,” he said.
Ruto said the stadium had transformed Nairobi’s skyline, adding that the project represented the fulfilment of a commitment to provide Kenya with a modern venue capable of hosting major international sporting events.
“Where once there was open ground along Ngong Road, there now stands a house of 60,000 seats. It is a cathedral of sport, a monument of steel, concrete, and light. A promise made and a promise kept,” he said.
The opening match will mark a major milestone for Talanta Stadium, also known as Raila Odinga International Stadium, located at Jamhuri Grounds along Ngong Road in Nairobi.
Ruto said the stadium’s name honoured the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, whom he described as a passionate football supporter.
“It is only fitting, therefore, that this stadium carries his name,” the President said, recalling that the country had recently marked one year since Raila’s death.
The President also drew a connection between the stadium’s name and the two clubs selected for its opening fixture, linking Kenya’s emphasis on talent development with Ajax’s tradition of nurturing young players.
“Talanta means talent. Ajax Academy is called the future. On 5 January 2027, talent and the future will meet in Nairobi,” Ruto said.
Construction of the stadium began in March 2024, with the Ministry of Defence overseeing the project and Kenya Defence Forces engineering teams involved in its implementation. Ruto described the facility as Kenya’s first purpose-built football and rugby stadium and the first international stadium built by the country since Kasarani Stadium in 1987.
The facility includes 52 skyboxes, video assistant referee technology and goal-line technology, among other features designed to meet the demands of modern international sport. The project’s contract sum rose from an initial estimate of approximately Ksh35 billion to Ksh45.8 billion, drawing scrutiny over public expenditure and procurement arrangements.
Ruto said the Bayern MunichโAjax fixture would be delivered through corporate partnerships and a commercial model intended to generate revenue and reduce reliance on public funding.
“This match will be delivered by corporate partnerships and a self-sustaining commercial model, confirming that world-class sport can attract private investment, earn its own revenue, and create lasting opportunity for our people,” he said.
The approach is intended to demonstrate how major sporting events can attract private-sector investment while creating opportunities for businesses and workers. A high-profile match featuring two of Europe’s established clubs could draw international attention to Nairobi and benefit the hospitality, tourism, transport and event-management sectors.
Kenya will co-host the continental tournament with Uganda and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17, 2027. Talanta Stadium is expected to serve as part of Kenya’s wider sporting infrastructure for the tournament, making its timely completion and operational readiness important to the country’s preparations.
Ruto said the project had overcome doubts about its feasibility, pointing to the construction work as evidence of the government’s commitment to delivering major infrastructure projects.
“Some said it could not be done. Too big, they said. Too ambitious. Too good to be true. Impossible,” he said. But we have always believed that to dare is to do.”
The President also paid tribute to the young Kenyans who worked on the project, saying their
