Presidential aspirant Eliud Owalo has welcomed Nairobi’s selection to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, describing it as a historic achievement for Kenya and the African continent.
In a statement dated September 15, 2026, Owalo said Kenya’s successful bid demonstrated the country’s growing capacity to host major international sporting events and provided an opportunity to further develop athletics and sports infrastructure.
“It is indeed a proud moment for Kenya and Africa at large, as Nairobi won an extremely competitive bid to host the 2029 edition of the prestigious World Athletics Championships,” Owalo said.
The People’s Prosperity Party (PPP) presidential aspirant congratulated World Athletics for selecting Nairobi and commended Athletics Kenya and other stakeholders involved in preparing the country’s bid.
Nairobi was selected ahead of competing bids from Munich, London and Rome, bringing the senior World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time.
Owalo said Kenya’s previous experience hosting international athletics competitions had strengthened its credentials. Nairobi hosted the World Under-18 Championships in 2017 and the World Under-20 Championships in 2021, both at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
He recalled the large crowds that attended the 2017 championships, saying they demonstrated Kenyans’ enthusiasm for athletics and the country’s ability to support major international competitions.
“I still vividly remember the enthusiasm shown by Kenyans during the 2017 World U-18 Championships, with huge crowds thronging the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, throughout the competition,” he said.
Owalo also pointed to Kenya’s longstanding record as one of the world’s leading athletics nations.
Kenyan athletes have dominated middle- and long-distance events for decades, producing internationally recognised champions including Faith Kipyegon, Eliud Kipchoge, David Rudisha, Hellen Obiri and Vivian Cheruiyot.
He also cited athletics legends Kipchoge Keino, Paul Tergat and Tegla Loroupe among athletes who have helped establish Kenya’s global reputation in the sport.
Owalo said Kenya’s performance at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo further demonstrated the country's continued strength, after the team finished second on the medal table with seven gold medals and 11 medals overall.
The decision to award Nairobi the championships is also significant for Africa, which has produced many of the world's leading athletes but has never previously staged the senior World Athletics Championships.
Owalo quoted World Athletics President Sebastian Coe as saying Nairobi had demonstrated that it was ready for the opportunity.
“It was important that the World Athletics Championships should come to Africa when we had the right host, the right bid and the right circumstances. Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment,” Coe said, according to Owalo's statement.
Owalo, who has previously been involved in Kenyan sports administration and development, said the successful bid should be viewed as an opportunity to strengthen the country's wider sports ecosystem.
The 2029 championships are expected to place Kenya at the centre of global athletics, bringing some of the world's leading track and field athletes to Nairobi and placing renewed focus on Kasarani and the country's capacity to stage major global sporting events.
For Kenya, the successful bid also provides an opportunity to leverage the championships beyond competition itself through sports tourism, infrastructure development, employment, commercial partnerships and investment in the next generation of athletes.
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