Sports PS says Kenya ready to host World Athletics Championships

Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi of Kenya's State Department for Sports has expressed confidence that the nation is well-prepared to host the 2029 or 2031 World Athletics Championships. Winning the bid to host the prestigious event in Nairobi would mark an historic milestone as the first African nation to do so. The World Athletics Council is set to announce the host cities for the 2029 and 2031 championships on September 15, 2026.

Rome, Munich and London are among the other cities vying to host the events. Mwangi reiterated Kenya's commitment to the vision of transforming the country into a sports hub in the region, noting that the government and Athletics Kenya have submitted a bid to host the championship in 2029 or 2031. He emphasized that being a sporting nation, Kenya has consistently dominated the sport globally, making 2029 bid a crucial step forward.

Although Kenya lost the opportunity to host the championships in 2025, the government remains optimistic about securing the 2029 or 2031 host city title. Kenya has a strong athletics heritage, with previous hosting of significant events such as the 2007 World Cross Country Championships, the World Under-18 Championships in 2017, and the World U20 Championships in 2021.

Mwangi affirmed that Kenya's experience in organizing major sporting events demonstrates its capability to deliver a successful World Athletics Championships.