World Athletics inspects Nairobi venues for 2029 World Championships

A World Athletics official has begun inspecting Nairobi's venues for the 2029 World Championships, the first such visit since Kenya won the hosting rights last month.

Pierce O'Callaghan, World Athletics Director of Competition Management, toured Kasarani Stadium on Wednesday evening and visited Nyayo Stadium and the Ulinzi Sports Complex on Thursday, the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) reported on 2 October 2026. He also met Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi. Officials from the Sports Ministry and Athletics Kenya accompanied him, according to KBC.

What the government said

KBC said Mwangi "reaffirmed the country's commitment to stage the global event in 2029". Pulse Sports quoted him as saying: "We are prepared to host the World Athletics Championship in the year 2029. And we have the resources to do it."

Pulse Sports said the Ministry of Sports is drawing on Kenya's hosting of the 2017 World U18 Championships and the 2021 World U20 Championships in Nairobi as a proven organisational track record.

How Kenya won the bid

The World Athletics Council announced the decision at its meeting in Budapest on Tuesday 15 September 2026, according to RTE and Kenyans.co.ke. Pulse Sports, HapaKenya and Kenyans.co.ke name London, Rome and Munich as the other candidate cities. The council awarded the 2029 and 2031 editions at the same meeting, with Munich getting 2031; Kenyans.co.ke quoted World Athletics President Sebastian Coe as saying there had been "four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031". KBC's report names only Rome and London as the beaten bidders.

Coe also said: "Nairobi presented a compelling and emotional bid, and taking the World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time will be historic," according to RTE.

KBC says the event will be the 22nd World Athletics Championships, scheduled for September 2029, and that Kenya will be the first African nation to host it. HapaKenya says Beijing will host the 2027 edition.

The venues

Pulse Sports reports that the 60,000-seat Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, is undergoing renovation ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027, which Kenya co-hosts with Uganda and Tanzania. It says the facility is being engineered to meet both continental football standards and World Athletics Category 1 requirements, including synthetic tracks, warm-up zones and media equipment. Pulse says the Ministry of Sports has earmarked Nyayo National Stadium and the Ulinzi Sports Complex for tailored upgrades to serve as official auxiliary hubs.

Fica News could not confirm from a primary source the cost of the work, the certification timetable, or whether an organising committee has been formed.

What happens next

Pulse Sports reported that Mwangi invited World Athletics technical teams to assess Nyayo Stadium and set out any further requirements. Neither KBC nor Pulse gave a date for the next inspection or a published budget.