Talanta Stadium To Be Renamed Raila Odinga International Stadium, Ruto Announces

President William Ruto has formally endorsed a growing national push to rename Nairobi’s Talanta Stadium after the late opposition leader Raila Odinga, marking one of the most significant bipartisan gestures since the ODM chief’s passing.

Artist impression of Talanta Stadium.

Ruto made the declaration during Jamhuri Day celebrations on Friday, December 12, 2025, shortly after Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja publicly appealed to him to immortalise Odinga’s legacy by renaming the country’s largest sports facility in his honour.

Raila died on October 15, 2025, while undergoing treatment in India.

In a brief but symbolic assurance, the President told the crowd that he had listened to the calls coming from leaders and citizens alike.

“Nimewasikiza kuwa mnataka uwanja upewe jina ya Raila Amollo Odinga International Stadium. Tukikamilisha, tutafanya hivyo,” Ruto affirmed, drawing applause from the packed Uhuru Gardens grounds.

Sakaja had moments earlier framed the plea as a unifying national gesture, reminding the President that the late ODM leader dedicated his life to public service, democratic reforms and national cohesion.

“We know next year’s Jamhuri Day will be commemorated in Talanta Stadium and we ask that you rename that stadium after Raila Odinga in honour of the departed leader who just left us,” Sakaja said, noting that Odinga’s imprint on Kenya’s political and social fabric remained unmatched.

The Talanta Stadium project, now over 50 per cent complete, is an ambitious centrepiece of the government’s sports infrastructure agenda. Located along Ngong Road and designed to seat 60,000 spectators, the multimillion-dollar arena is expected to be completed in 2026. It is one of the flagship venues for Kenya’s co-hosting of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) alongside Uganda and Tanzania.

The renaming proposal had been gaining momentum even before Sakaja’s public request. Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei and Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma had earlier urged the President to consider immortalising Odinga by naming a major national facility after him, describing the opposition doyen as a “pillar of Kenya’s political evolution.”

Should the plan be executed as pledged, Raila Odinga International Stadium will stand as the country’s premier sporting venue and a lasting reminder of the late leader’s decades-long influence on Kenya’s governance, democracy and national identity.

The announcement also marks a rare moment of political harmony, with leaders from across the aisle uniting to honour a figure who shaped multiple generations of the country’s political discourse.

Construction on the stadium continues at pace as Kenya races to deliver world-class facilities ahead of AFCON 2027, a tournament expected to significantly boost the country’s sporting profile and regional standing.