European football heavyweights Bayern Munich and Ajax Amsterdam will headline the official opening of Kenya’s new 60,000-seat Raila Odinga International Stadium on January 5, 2027, President William Ruto has announced.

The German and Dutch giants will meet in a high-profile friendly at the facility along Ngong Road in Nairobi, marking the opening of a stadium that the government hopes will strengthen Kenya’s capacity to host major international sporting events.

Ruto confirmed the fixture in a recorded message, describing the stadium as the fulfilment of a promise to provide Kenyans with a modern venue capable of attracting some of the world’s biggest teams.

“Come January 5, 2027, we will open this stadium with a historic match between two giants of European football, FC Bayern Munich of Germany and FC Ajax of Amsterdam,” the President said.

He noted that the clubs have won Europe’s premier club competition 10 times between them, adding that their visit would give the new stadium a high-profile start.

The venue, previously known as Talanta Stadium, has been named in honour of former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, who died in October 2025. Ruto said the decision reflected Odinga’s love for football and his connection with supporters.

“It is only fitting, therefore, that this stadium carries his name,” he said.

The President described the facility as Kenya’s first purpose-built football and rugby stadium and the first new international stadium built by the country since the opening of Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, in 1987.

According to Ruto, the stadium has a hybrid playing surface, 52 skyboxes, video assistant referee technology and goal-line technology. The 60,000-capacity venue is also expected to play a role in Kenya’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which the country will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania.

Construction began in March 2024, according to the President, who praised the workers involved in delivering the project.

“To the young Kenyans who worked through the searing heat of the day and the biting cold of the night to raise this, this stadium is your imprint on Kenya’s history and your signature on Kenya’s future,” he said.

Beyond the opening match, Ruto said the event would demonstrate the potential of commercial partnerships in financing major sporting occasions.

He said the Bayern Munich-Ajax fixture would be delivered through corporate partnerships and a self-sustaining commercial model, arguing that international sport could attract private investment, generate revenue and create opportunities for Kenyans.

“This match will be delivered by corporate partnerships and a self-sustaining commercial model, confirming that world-class sport can attract private investment, earn its own revenue and create lasting opportunity for our people,” he said.

The choice of Bayern Munich and Ajax also carries a symbolic connection to the stadium’s name and identity. Ruto referred to Odinga’s time studying in Germany and his passion for football, while describing Ajax’s tradition of developing young players as a fitting link to the meaning of Talanta — talent.

“On January 5, 2027, talent and the future will meet in Nairobi,” he said.

The opening fixture will provide Kenyan fans with an opportunity to watch two prominent European clubs in the country as attention turns to the new stadium’s role in the development of local sport and the hosting of international competitions.

Ruto said the project represented more than a new sporting venue, describing it as a statement of Kenya’s ambition and belief in what the country could achieve.