Ruto hosts AFC Leopards at State House
By Luke Oluoch, July 15, 2026President William Ruto on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, hosted a delegation of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League side AFC Leopards at State House.
The visit on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, comes after an intensive sports week where the president hosted three teams for breakfast at his official residence following similar visits on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, by WAFCON -bound Harambee Starlets, team under coach Beldine Odemba, and the Women’s 17, Junior Starlets side after their successful quailifaction to the U17 World Cup to be held in Morocco in October 2026.
The delegation was led by Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya, his sports counterpart Salim Mvurya, and a host of officials from the Ingwe club.
In his address, Ruto hailed the growth of AFC Leopards, highlighting their resurgence in the Kenyan local league following their runners-up finish in the concluded season.
The president challenged Ingwe to aim higher and become Kenya’s best club on the continental stage.
“As the skipper and coaches have said, you have shown improvement, and you look to bag the FKF PL title. I want to congratulate you for keeping your place among football elites. I challenge you to aim higher and become a force on the African continent. Every Kenyan club that succeeded internationally inspires our people to strengthen their brands and bring us national pride,” he stated.
Govt commitment to sports
The president also reiterated his government’s commitment to sports infrastructure and development. Ruto justified his support for the football infrastructure as a wider plan for improving sports, saying his commitment is to transform from a recreational sport to making it an industry.
“There is no better investment than the future of our young people. These arrangements are not ceremonial or incidental; they are not a divergence from government work but part of it. Sports is one of Kenya’s greatest untapped opportunities. For too long we treated it as entertainment and recreation.
If we treat sport as an industry, we create jobs, wealth, and global influence. My administration has chosen the second. We will not only enjoy sports and have athletes but also have sports as a serious business and get opportunities for our young people to create wealth and yield influence as a nation,” he declared.