President William Ruto speaking at State House on July 13 /PCSPresident William Ruto has declared that Arsenal enjoys the largest football fan base in Kenya, taking a light-hearted swipe at Manchester United supporters while celebrating the country's passion for the sport.
Speaking at State House, Nairobi, when he hosted Migori Youth FC following their promotion to the Kenya Premier League, Ruto said football remains the country's most popular sport with many Kenyans passionately supporting clubs from leagues around the world.
“We have fans in athletics, in all the other spaces, but the biggest fan base in Kenya is football. And therefore, many Kenyans support one team or another, either local teams or teams in the different leagues across the world. I’ve seen people from Manchester say they win whenever they want. But this time around, they know that there are teams better than them,” Ruto said.
Ruto, an Arsenal supporter himself, joked that the North London club sometimes allows other teams to enjoy success before proving their quality.
“And I think in Kenya, we have the biggest fan base as Arsenal. And we allow others to win for a while, and then we come back and demonstrate to them that who is really around.”
The President linked the remarks to his government's broader investment in sports, saying the sector is creating opportunities for young people while nurturing talent across the country.
He said the government is investing in sports, the creative and digital economy, overseas employment, affordable housing, infrastructure and business support to create millions of jobs for young people.
"In sports alone, we are building and upgrading 34 stadia across the country to support talent development and expand opportunities for our young people," Ruto said.
He noted that the investments are already bearing fruit, citing the continued success of Kenyan athletes on the global stage and the Junior Starlets' historic qualification for the 2026 FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup.
During the event, the President handed Migori Youth FC a team bus to ease their travel for league matches following their promotion from the National Super League.
He also said the government is constructing a modern stadium in Migori county to provide the club and the wider community with quality facilities for sports development and talent nurturing.
