Maliba calls for sports reforms ahead of Talanta Stadium opening

Progress Plus Alliance Party leader Maliba Arnold has challenged the government to prioritise sports policy, funding and talent development, saying Kenya’s biggest challenge is not constructing stadiums but making them functional and supporting young athletes.

Speaking on Radio Generation on Thursday, Arnold said President William Ruto’s announcement of a high-profile football match to open the new Raila Odinga International Stadium was important but not essential compared with the need to address longstanding challenges facing the sports sector.

“What is essential for me for our young people today is a proper functional sports policy,” Arnold said.

He argued that Kenya had made progress in stadium construction but continued to struggle with inadequate sporting facilities, funding and the neglect of young talent.

Arnold said only three stadiums were currently functional for local matches, pointing to Nyayo National Stadium and Police Sacco Stadium, alongside another venue he referred to as part of Nairobi’s small sporting circuit.

He said the concentration of matches in a limited number of venues had left local clubs competing for space, noting that Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards were both using Nyayo National Stadium.

“Kasarani is not functional as we speak today,” he said, arguing that the government should prioritise reopening the facility.

Arnold said Kenya did not have a major problem constructing stadiums, citing projects in Garissa, Bungoma, Mandera and Kisumu as examples of the government’s ability to deliver infrastructure.

“When we want a stadium, I can tell you, within seven days, you can actually have Kasarani functional,” he said.

He added that the country needed to address disputes within football leadership, particularly at the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), which he said had struggled to work together as clubs and officials faced uncertainty over the league.

Arnold also questioned the emphasis on bringing international teams to Kenya, saying such matches offered spectacle but would not resolve the deeper challenges facing the sport.

He said young footballers, including those from disadvantaged neighbourhoods such as Mathare, often displayed talent but lacked clear pathways to develop their careers.

“It's about prioritization issues,” he said, adding that criticism of government decisions should be treated as “good citizenship” rather than negativity.

President Ruto announced on Wednesday that German giants Bayern Munich and Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam would play a historic match on January 5, 2027, to officially open the 60,000-seat stadium, popularly known as Talanta Stadium.

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

The facility is expected to play a key role in Kenya’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which the country will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania.