President William Ruto has reassured World Athletics President Sebastian Coe and the global athletics fraternity that Kenya is firmly on course to meet all infrastructure requirements and obligations necessary to deliver a successful 2029 World Athletics Championships at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
The Head of State gave the assurance on Wednesday evening after meeting Coe, who jetted into the country earlier in the morning, in their first high-level engagement since Kenya won the bid to host the global athletics showpiece in 2029.
Discussions between the two centred on Kenya’s preparations for the championships, with Ruto reaffirming the government’s commitment to delivering the infrastructure and facilities required to stage an event of such international magnitude.
“The Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, the venue of the 2029 World Athletics Championships, is undergoing major improvements ahead of AFCON 2027, which Kenya is co-hosting with our East African partner states, Uganda and Tanzania,” Ruto said.
He added that the ongoing modernisation works would be followed by further upgrades to ensure the facility meets World Athletics’ stipulated standards ahead of Nairobi 2029.
“Further upgrades will be done ahead of the 2029 event in fulfilment of our commitment and our obligations,” he said.
Coe described Kenya’s successful bid to host the World Athletics Championships as a significant opportunity not only for the country but also for Africa and the wider global athletics community.
He further underscored the enormous logistical undertaking that comes with staging a championship of such scale.
“ It is a huge nine-day event, with 2,000 athletes and watched by a global audience of one billion,” Coe said.
Earlier in the day, the World Athletics boss had stressed that a packed stadium on competition days would be one of the defining measures of a successful championship, challenging Kenya to mobilise fans and create an electric atmosphere befitting the sport’s biggest global stage.
“What does a successful championship look like? A successful championship, amongst other things, but probably in the top three things we want, is people in the stadium,” Coe said.
“We want a full stadium.”
The meeting was also attended by Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, who reiterated the government’s determination to put in place a comprehensive roadmap to guide Kenya’s preparations for Nairobi 2029.
“The Government reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to putting in place a comprehensive roadmap, world-class infrastructure and a conducive environment to guarantee the successful hosting of the championships in 2029,” Mvurya said.
“Central to these preparations is the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, which is currently undergoing extensive modernisation ahead of AFCON 2027, with further upgrades planned to meet the requirements of the World Athletics Championships.”