German champions Bayern Munich and Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam will play the first-ever match at the new Raila Odinga International Stadium in Nairobi on January 5, 2027, President William Ruto announced on Wednesday evening.

The President, speaking in a special address, described the fixture as "a historic match between two giants of European football" and said both clubs had accepted Kenya's invitation. The stadium, built at Jamhuri Grounds along Ngong Road and previously known as Talanta Stadium, will host the friendly as its curtain-raiser before it becomes one of the main venues for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

A tribute to Raila

Ruto framed the match as part of his pledge to honour the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, whose name the venue now carries. He said there was "a quiet poetry in this fixture", linking Bayern's German roots to Raila's student years in Germany and pointing to Ajax's reputation for nurturing young talent.

"This is part of my commitment to honour the late Prime Minister Raila Odinga," the President said, according to Kenyans.co.ke.

He added that the two clubs have between them won Europe's top club competition ten times, and that the match would show the world that Nairobi is ready for top-level football. "Kenya is ready to welcome the world, and Africa is ready for greatness," he said.

Private money, not taxpayers

According to the President, the match will be delivered through corporate partnerships under what he called a commercially sustainable model meant to draw private investment and generate revenue. Ticket prices and the list of sponsors were not announced.

The stadium project has drawn criticism over its cost, which Kenyans.co.ke reports at more than Sh48 billion for the wider sports city. Ruto asked Kenyans to view the facility as an investment, calling it "a statement of who we are" and saying it would create jobs, attract tourists and give young athletes a world-class home.

What the stadium offers

  • 60,000 seats, making it one of the largest venues in the region
  • A hybrid playing surface and 52 skyboxes
  • VAR and goal-line technology
  • Kenya's first purpose-built football and rugby stadium, and the first international stadium the country has built since Kasarani opened in 1987

Parliamentary updates cited by Citizen Digital put construction at about 94 per cent complete, with technical and operational work still pending before the venue is fully ready.

Timing and star power

The date falls at the tail end of the European winter break. Kenyans.co.ke notes that the Bundesliga pauses after December 20 and resumes on the weekend of January 8, while the Eredivisie returns on January 9, leaving a narrow window for both squads to travel to Nairobi.

Fans could get a glimpse of Bayern striker Harry Kane, who was crowned the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner this week, though neither club has said which players will make the trip.

The announcement comes as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania step up preparations to co-host AFCON in June and July 2027. It also follows the President's earlier invitation to English club Arsenal to play in Kenya after the Gunners sent the Odinga family a signed jersey.

Photos: The Eastleigh Voice/Erick Kariuki (stadium); Kenyans.co.ke (Harry Kane). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.