A section of Kenyan athletes celebrates a win during the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on September 21, 2025 / FILENairobi’s selection to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships has sparked debate, with British athletics commentators questioning the decision while Africans and other supporters celebrate it as a long-overdue opportunity for the continent.
World Athletics’ decision to award the championships to Nairobi means Africa will host the global athletics competition for the first time. Nairobi beat bids from London, Rome and Munich to secure the rights.
The decision has attracted criticism in the UK, with some commentators questioning the choice because of concerns over alleged doping in Kenya and the championships being held outside Europe for a third consecutive edition.
The Times correspondent, Matt Lawton, in his article criticised the decision, arguing that the championships should have remained in Europe in 2029 before being taken to Africa in 2031.
“Three consecutive championships away from Europe. Massive doping problem in Kenya. I’d have liked to have seen more time devoted to that and given it to Africa in 2031, with Europe hosting in 2029,” Lawton said.
Lawton also argued that Kenya should focus on addressing concerns surrounding the integrity of its athletics before hosting the global championships.
However, the criticism has been met with strong support from Africans and athletics followers who say the continent deserves the opportunity to stage the event.
“Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and mine is that Africa is going to host for the very first time. That statement wipes out all the shades of doping you are talking about. For the first time, a nation that has been leading gets to host. How unfair it has been,” one supporter said.
Another said the criticism would not change the significance of Africa hosting the championships for the first time.
“One good thing is it’s just your opinion, and it won’t change the fact that it was overdue for Africa and we have it,” the supporter said.
President William Ruto celebrated the decision, describing it as a historic moment for Kenya and the continent.
“The World Athletics Championships are coming home! Our country has won the right to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, making Kenya the first African nation to stage the premier global athletics competition,” Ruto said.
Ruto congratulated the bid team, Athletics Kenya, the Ministry of Sports, Youth Affairs and the Creative Economy, athletes and others involved in securing the hosting rights.
“This is Kenya’s moment, Africa’s moment and a victory for generations of athletes who made our nation synonymous with excellence on the track, on the road and cross country,” he said.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi welcomed Nairobi’s selection, saying Africa’s time had come and Kenya would lead the way.
“Africa’s time has come, and Kenya will lead the way. Nairobi selected to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships,” Mudavadi said.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo also welcomed the decision, saying Kenya would make history as the first African nation to host the World Athletics Championships.
Omollo described the award as a vote of confidence in Kenya and recognition of the country’s athletics heritage.
The decision has also received support from people across Africa.
Louise Patterton from South Africa said she hoped to attend the 2029 championships, noting that Nairobi was only a short flight from South Africa.
Maggie Pona Khomba from Botswana congratulated Kenya, while another supporter from Botswana said: “It’s time for Africa and Kenya to represent.”
Cafunho Jorge said Botswana was happy for Kenya and added, “Africa has won.”
Destiny Power Ikechukwu also congratulated Kenya, saying Africa was proud of the country.
Päppy Çhülø joined others in congratulating Kenya.
Support has also come from athletics followers outside Africa.
Scott Martin said he was disappointed that London did not win the bid but added that Africa deserved an event of such magnitude after a long wait.
Steve Tivey pointed to the dominance of African middle-distance and marathon runners over the years, saying it was fair for others to travel to Africa for a change.
Robert Woodman said the global nature of the championships meant the event should be held across different parts of the world.
Olaf Brockmann welcomed the decision, saying it was time for Africa, Kenya and Nairobi and that the championships should not be centred on Europe.
Susybellah Mstoce also welcomed the decision, telling critics that Nairobi and Africa were ready to host the major athletics event.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe defended the selection process, saying the decision followed a detailed evaluation of the competing bids, including budgets, government financial guarantees, infrastructure and the potential to grow the sport.
The award will make Nairobi the first African city to host the senior World Athletics Championships.
President Lord Coe, while announcing the decision in Budapest on Tuesday, described Kenya's bid as "compelling and emotional".
The East African nation is the second-most successful nation in the history of the World Championships with 72 gold medals, placing it behind the United States.
The vast majority of those glories, alongside 38 Olympic gold medals, have come in middle- and long-distance running.
Lord Coe said that athletics is "woven into the fabric" of the nation and that Kenyans have helped "shape the history" of the sport.
He name-checked several runners, including two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, who was involved in the lobbying for Kenya's bid; men's 800m world record holder David Rudisha and multiple world and Olympic medallist Faith Kipyegon.
A passionate fanbase is also one of the country's great strengths.
Some 68% of Kenyans surveyed by World Athletics rated their interest in athletics as high, compared with a global average of 39%.
Athletics is the country's second-most followed sport, behind only football, and when World Athletics assessed its social media channels, Kenya was the fourth-highest nation in terms of followers.
Kenya's previous bid for the 2025 edition fell through largely on the facilities the country possessed.
This time around, the Kasarani Stadium will have gone through a complete structural upgrade well before the world's top athletes descend on Nairobi.
The 48,000-capacity venue will be used when Kenya co-hosts football's 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) next June and July alongside Tanzania and Uganda.
"We learned from the 2025 bid because there were areas that we did not score well," Barnaba Korir, who worked on the successful bid, told the BBC World Service.
"Because of that, we managed to improve on those areas.
"I'm happy that the infrastructure that we have already developed will also meet the standards that we have seen all over the world."
