PS Elijah Mwangi: Kenya ready to make history with 2029 or 2031 World Athletics Championships
By Joel Masibo, September 12, 2026Kenya is fully prepared to take on the responsibility of hosting the World Athletics Championships, with the government confident Nairobi can secure the right to stage either the 2029 or 2031 edition.
Principal Secretary in the State Department for Sports Elijah Mwangi has said the government, working alongside Athletics Kenya, has formally submitted Kenya’s bid as it seeks to bring the world’s premier outdoor athletics competition to the country.
If successful, Nairobi would make history by becoming the first African city to host the World Athletics Championships.
The World Athletics Council is expected to announce the successful bids for the 2029 and 2031 championships on September 15, 2026. Nairobi is competing against Rome, Munich and London in the bidding process.
“I would like to assure Kenyans that we shall continue supporting His Excellency’s vision of ensuring that this country becomes a hub of sports in this region. That is why the government of Kenya together with Athletics Kenya have submitted a bid to host the World Athletics Championships in 2029 or 20231,” PS Mwangi told K24 Sports.
Mwangi believes bringing the championships to Nairobi would carry special meaning for a country that has established itself as one of the world’s leading athletics nations.
“We know that Kenya is a sporting nation and globally, Kenya has dominated for many years. The marathons, short races and this why the 2029 bid is very critical for us. We hope by 15th of September 2026 when the World athletics council shall announce the winner of hosting 2029 or 2031 World Athletics championships Kenya can be identified as the winner. Hosting the event will have great significance for Kenya because our youths, who have been competing locally and internationally will have a chance to do it on home soil.”
Kenya previously attempted to secure the 2025 championships but lost out in the bidding process. The country, however, has continued to position itself as a credible destination for major international athletics competitions.
The country has a strong record of staging global athletics events. Mombasa hosted the 2007 World Cross Country Championships, while Nairobi staged the 2017 World Under-18 Championships and the 2021 World Under-20 Championships.
The government’s wider sporting ambitions have also seen Kenya host major international competitions across different disciplines, something Mwangi believes strengthens the country’s case.
“We have come of age in terms of sports in Africa. We have hosted the CAF Africa Nations Championship (CHAN), we are preparing for AFCON next year, we have hosted the Safari Rally, Magical Kenya open golf and many other international sporting events and therefore we know we can make it,” PS Mwangi added.
Host venues
Kenya is banking on the historic Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani as its venue should the bid go through. The sports facility is currently undergoing a major facelift ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
A successful bid would give Kenya an opportunity to showcase its athletics heritage on home soil while providing local athletes with the chance to compete at the highest level in front of a home crowd.
The World Athletics Championships bring together the world’s leading track and field athletes in a global competition watched by millions of fans. Beyond the sporting spectacle, hosting the event would give Nairobi an opportunity to promote its tourism, hospitality, infrastructure and wider investment potential.
For Kenya, however, the significance would go beyond hosting another major international event. A successful Nairobi bid would give the country a historic opportunity to stage the biggest global athletics championships on the continent, in a nation whose athletes have played a defining role in the sport for decades.