Kenya’s new national stadium the Raila Odinga International Stadium will open on January 5, 2027 with a match between FC Bayern Munich and Ajax.
President William Ruto announced the inauguration match and confirmed that the 60,000-capacity venue at Talanta Sports City will be named in honour of former prime minister Raila Odinga, who died in October 2025.
FC Bayern said the aim of the match is to build up anticipation for the Africa Cup of Nations, which will be held in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in the summer of 2027.
Construction of the stadium began on March 1, 2024, and the project is a flagship venue for Kenya’s preparations to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with Uganda and Tanzania. The tournament is scheduled to run from June 19 to July 17.
Designed for football and rugby, the stadium includes a hybrid playing surface, 52 skyboxes, video assistant referee (VAR) technology and goal-line technology.
The wider venue also features LED screens, broadcast facilities and a musical fountain.
The project is being delivered under the Ministry of Defence, with the Kenya Defence Forces overseeing construction.
A parliamentary committee reported in October that the main stadium was approximately 94 per cent complete, although technical, accessibility and operational work remained outstanding.
Officials said these requirements would be addressed ahead of further inspections, with full readiness targeted for December followed by systems testing.
The venue is intended to become central to Kenya’s ambitions to attract major sporting events, develop its sports infrastructure and raise its international sporting profile.
Rouven Kasper, FC Bayern board member for marketing & sales said, “FC Bayern has millions of fantastic fans in Africa with whom we feel a close connection – it’s a continent with a huge passion for football.
“For many years, we have consistently maintained a presence in America and Asia with our ‘Audi Summer Tour’. Now we have a new opportunity to further strengthen our connection with our fans in Africa too, to allow people to experience FC Bayern first-hand and to underline our club’s international appeal.
“We will be making a further contribution to raising the profile of the Bundesliga and are very much looking forward to this special event.”
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