By Anderson Ojwang
President William Ruto is not sleeping and is currently doing anything possible to win the public’s trust and woo the electorate to support his re-election.
After launching his new campaign slogan, Usawa ni Sawa, Mbele Pamoja, Ruto has once again turned to football to appease and lure soccer lovers, and more specifically, the vote bloc of the late Raila Amolo Odinga, to his fold.
Traditionally, in Kenya, two communities, namely Luos and Luhyas, have been viewed as soccer-crazy, with the two leading teams in the country, the mighty Gor Mahia and Ingwe, AFC Leopards, enjoying near-fanatical support from the two communities, respectively.
The politics of Talanta
On 12th December 2025, President Ruto promised to rename Talanta Stadium to Raila Amolo Odinga International Stadium after an appeal from Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja during the Jamhuri Day celebrations.
President Ruto acknowledged the Governor’s request and assured Kenyans that the proposal would be honoured once the stadium was complete.
“Tunakamilisha ile kiwanja ya Talanta Stadium pale Jamhuri,” the President said. “Nimesikia yale Governor wa Nairobi amesema, ya kwamba ile uwanja wa Talanta ipatiwe jina gani? Raila Amolo Odinga International Stadium? Nimewasikiza. Na tukikamilisha tutafanya hivyo,” he said then.
Ruto maintained and reaffirmed that the stadium had been renamed after the late Raila Amolo Odinga.
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.
Germany and the Netherlands in Kenya’s politics
The soccer bug is now a common feature in the country, with the majority of Kenyans being ardent followers of the EPL, with Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City enjoying huge support in the country.
To appease and woo soccer lovers, President Ruto has turned to Germany and its champions, Bayern Munich, the team of current Ballon d’Or winner Harry Kane, and the Netherlands’ Ajax to jump-start his campaigns in January ahead of the August general election.
Key
President Ruto will use the official opening of the 60,000-capacity stadium as one of his key development pillars and achievements.
“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.
This explains why Ruto announced a proposed high-profile football match between German giants Bayern Munich and Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam at Talanta Stadium in Nairobi.
Ajax, on its social media platforms, wrote:
“We’re proud to announce that we will face FC Bayern in the opening match of the new Raila Odinga International Stadium at Talanta Sports City in Nairobi, Kenya 🇰🇪
See you on January 5, [FC Bayern München]!”
Bayern also posted:
“𝙄𝙣𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙪𝙢 𝙞𝙣 𝙆𝙚𝙣𝙮𝙖
A special match to kick off the new year: FC Bayern travels to Nairobi on January 5, 2027, and will face Ajax Amsterdam as part of the ceremonial opening of the new national stadium, Raila Odinga International Stadium at Talanta Sports City in Nairobi, Kenya.”
Ruto said the stadium would officially open on January 5, 2027, with a historic match between Bayern Munich and Ajax Amsterdam.
“Come fifth January 2027, we will open this stadium with a historic match between two giants of European football, FC Bayern Munich of Germany and AFC Ajax of Amsterdam,” Ruto said.
The President said the two clubs had 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).
Gachagua deconstructs
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua dismissed Ruto’s announcement, saying that having the two European clubs play was mere political gimmickry.
He wondered why Ruto could not have two top teams in the country play during the opening ceremony instead of inviting two top European teams, which he said had no economic value to the country.
“We will officially open the Raila Odinga Stadium in the second week of August after our victory at the ballot. Ruto is playing politics with Kenyans and thinks he will woo the voters,” he said.
Murkomen meets Bayern delegation
President Ruto’s confidant and Internal Security Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen met with the Bayern delegation.
He wrote:
“I met the [FC Bayern München] team led by Mr Andreas Kufner, the Head of International Activations and Tours, and the [AFC Ajax] team led by Sascha Smulders, the Head of Global Travel.
I thanked them for choosing to stage this historic match on African soil and assured them of our Government’s full support in providing adequate security, and immigration and travel facilitation, for their fans from all over the world who will attend the historic Talanta opening match.
This will be one of our proudest moments indeed for our nation and the region.
Congratulations to our President for his visionary and transformative leadership that has made this historic encounter possible in our motherland.”
Transformation
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.
Parallel
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.
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 infrastructure
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.
Mashemeji Derby
Last year, during Madaraka Day celebrations hosted in Homa Bay County, President Ruto made moves that were viewed as an appeal to his two most sought-after voting blocs.
President William Ruto is finally fulfilling the six-decade-old dream of staging the Mashemeji Derby, pitting the famous Gor Mahia against their arch-rivals, AFC Leopards, in the region.
It is indeed history in the making: the first time Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards will face off outside Nairobi, which has long been the home ground for the two most popular teams in the country.
Rewards to football teams
President Ruto has rewarded Gor Mahia FC with Sh10 million following the club’s triumphant 2025/26 SportPesa Premier League title-winning campaign.
In addition, every member of the winning squad and technical bench received a token of Sh100,000.
President Ruto also met with AFC Leopards, Migori Youth Football Club and Shabana Football Club and delivered goodies, too.
