President William Ruto has announced that the Raila Odinga International Stadium in Nairobi will officially open on January 5, 2027.

While making the announcement Wednesday, Ruto said as part of the opening a historic match between German giants FC Bayern Munich and Dutch side AFC Ajax will be played at the stadium.

Ruto said the fixture, featuring two of Europe's most successful clubs, would mark a significant milestone in Kenya's efforts to position itself as a major sporting destination ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The President noted that Bayern Munich and Ajax had collectively won Europe's premier club competition 10 times, making the encounter an appropriate occasion to inaugurate the facility.

“There is a quiet poetry in this fixture.

Raila studied in Germany, now a great German club will come to play in the house that bears his name,” Ruto said.

He also drew parallels between Ajax's reputation for nurturing young football talent and the name of the Talanta sports complex, saying the opening match would symbolically bring together talent and the future.

“For generations, Ajax built its greatness on young talent, nurtured in an academy whose very name is the future. Talanta means talent. Ajax's Academy is called the future. On January 5, 2027, talent and the future will meet in Nairobi,” he said.

Ruto said the opening event would be financed through corporate partnerships and a commercially sustainable model, arguing that world-class sporting facilities could attract private investment, generate revenue and create economic opportunities.

“This is more than the opening of a stadium. It is a statement of who we are, and most importantly, who we are becoming,” he said.

The announcement comes as Kenya prepares to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Tanzania and Uganda under the regional Pamoja initiative.

The tournament is expected to provide East Africa with an opportunity to showcase its sporting infrastructure, attract international visitors and stimulate investment in tourism and related industries.

Ruto said the new stadium would be among the facilities through which Kenya would demonstrate its readiness to host international sporting events and welcome visitors from across the world.

“From this stadium, our message to the world is clear: Kenya is ready to welcome the world, and Africa is ready for greatness,” he said.

The President invited Kenyans and international visitors to embrace the facility as a symbol of the country's sporting ambitions and capacity to deliver major infrastructure projects.

“So come home to Talanta, come home to the Raila Odinga International Stadium. Look up at the new sky of Nairobi and see what Kenyans can build when we believe,” Ruto said.

“We're not just believers; we are doers. Usawanisawa. Mbele pamoja.”

The January fixture will provide an international showcase for the stadium ahead of AFCON, which Kenya will co-host with its neighbours as the three countries seek to strengthen East Africa's profile in continental football.

The tournament will also test the region's capacity to deliver major sporting events, including stadium operations, transport, accommodation and other services required to host teams, officials and supporters.

Ruto's announcement places the Raila Odinga International Stadium at the centre of Kenya's preparations, with the Bayern Munich-Ajax encounter expected to draw international attention to the country's football ambitions.