On the eve of the eagerly-anticipated final clash between Morocco and Madagascar in August during the CHAN 2024, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Dr. Patrice Motsepe termed the football contest, co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, as the most successful edition in the history of the tournament.
The laudatory remarks from the highest-ranking CAF official transcend the boundaries of modesty by a gracious guest to a benevolent host. They are a rock-solid endorsement of Kenya’s inherent capacity to host successful global events as well as a confirmation of the country’s growing status as a preferred destination for various sporting disciplines by international sporting events.
Dr. Motsepe’s words would be amplified months later in November 19th by the Confederation of African Cycling (CAC) president Dr. Allah Kouame who described glowingly Kenya’s hosting capabilities, modern sporting infrastructure and superior logistical arrangements; core factors that have made Kenya a top venue for staging continental and global sport tournaments.
“When Kenya made a request to host this event, there were no discussions on her capacity to deliver,” said Dr. Kouame during the launch of CAC Road Cycling African Championships 2025 in Diani, Kwale County.
Such laurels from the top brass of continental sports federations asserts Kenya’s rapidly-evolving status as the true home for global sporting tournaments.
In the last two years alone, the country has successfully hosted over a dozen world-class international sporting events; a feat that has enhanced and amplified the country’s standing and profile in international sporting circles.
The Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports Salim Mvurya terms it as fruits and direct outcomes of the continued strategic government’s investment in Kenya’s sporting ecosystem. He notes that the country’s demonstrable ability in meticulously planning, flawless execution and the delivery of highly successful sporting tournaments has transformed Kenya into a preferred hub for events by global sports bodies.
“Strategic investment in sports infrastructure and our capacity to plan, coordinate and deliver events to international standards have made Kenya extremely competitive in terms of hosting continental and global sports events,” he explains.
The statistics are impressive.
In October last year, Kenya hosted the famous Safari 7s rugby tournament in Machakos County. Players from eight countries including Spain, Qatar, Mayotte, Tunisia and Uganda participated. That same month, Kenya held her first edition of Confederation of African Cycling (CAC) Road Cycling Africa Championships in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County. A total of 186 cyclists from 22 African nations participated.
The February 2025 brought the Magical Kenya Open. This world-class golfing tournament, part of the DP World Tour, had 150 elite golfers from 30 countries across the world. Other global tournaments that followed include the World Rally Champion, with tens of thousands of fans, in Naivasha in March; the Kip Keino Classic Gold Meet tour in Nairobi, CHAN 2024 football tournament, the Nairobi City Marathon, Rugby’s Africa Women 7s at RFUEA grounds, 10th Africa Aquatics Zone 3 Swimming Championships and the first ever Africa Rafting Championships in Sagana in July where Kenya won.
In December, Kenya hosts the World Taekwondo Under-21 Championships as well as Tong-IL Moo-Doo international martial arts championships. In February, World Rugby chose Kenya to host the opening leg of HSBC SVNS 2.
In 2027, Kenya will welcome the world during the Africa Cup of Nation; the biggest football tournament in the continent. The event, slotted to be in the iconic 60,000 ultra-modern Talanta Stadium in Nairobi, will open floodgates of visitors, fans and players from around the world. In Athletics, Kenya has placed a bid for the World Athletics Championships in 2029.
Viewership and audience data show the overwhelming response from the audience. The Iten’s road cycling event posted an impressive performance with the race being broadcast live in 50 countries. The social media campaign alone registered over 4.8million impressions. For CHAN 2024, the preliminary data shows a TV viewership of over 40 million with 140,000 people attending fan zones.
The craze, fanfare and massive publicity associated with such events points to Kenya’s growing dominance and prime position as a leader in sports hosting.
The Principal Secretary for the State Department for Sports Elijah Mwangi says global sports tournaments are a catalyst for social-economic development. He says that the multiplier effect is felt in other sectors like tourism, hospitality industry, transport and entertainment.
“Those events come with massive benefits that are registered in other sectors as well. This ripple effect points to sports as a key economic enabler for the country,” he says.
Through sports, the state is empowering the county government to ably host regional and international events. While Nairobi City is ahead in terms of sports infrastructure, world-class accommodation facilities and excellent transport networks, the government is supporting other counties to host major sports events as part of building requisite sports infrastructure, market the counties and promote talent development.
The successful hosting of Safari 7s in Machakos, World Safari Rally in Naivasha, rafting championships in Sagana and 2025 Africa Cycling Championships in Ukunda is a positive indicator of counties ability to host with sports being used to promote regional equality, growing fan base and supporting growth of various sporting disciplines.
by Wagema Mwangi
