RUTO, UNESCO DISCUSS COOPERATION AHEAD OF AFCON 2027 AND WORLD ATHLETICS 2029
President Ruto and UNESCO's Khaled El-Enany discuss cooperation on education, culture and sport ahead of Kenya's AFCON 2027 co-hosting and the 2029 World Athletics Championships in Nairobi.
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President William Ruto has confirmed discussions between Kenya and UNESCO on collaboration ahead of two major international sporting events — the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2029 World Athletics Championships.
Ruto made the announcement on Thursday, September 24, 2026, after meeting UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
According to the President, the discussions focused on strengthening Kenya-UNESCO cooperation in areas including education, culture, science and sport.
“Kenya looks forward to hosting the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development in Nairobi in January 2027. We also discussed collaboration around AFCON 2027 and the 2029 World Athletics Championships, harnessing education, culture, science and sport to create more opportunities for our people,” Ruto said.
Kenya is preparing to co-host AFCON 2027 alongside Tanzania and Uganda. The tournament is scheduled to take place from June 19 to July 17, 2027. CAF has been monitoring preparations, including work at Talanta Sports International Stadium and the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
The country will then host the 2029 World Athletics Championships in Nairobi. The event will be historic as it will be the first edition of the global championships to be staged on African soil. World Athletics awarded the hosting rights to Nairobi earlier this month.
The two events are expected to place Kenya in the international sporting spotlight while providing opportunities to promote tourism, culture, youth development and employment.
Ruto has previously described sports as an avenue for investment, diplomacy, tourism, culture and job creation, as the government continues upgrading sporting infrastructure across the country.
The latest discussions with UNESCO indicate that Kenya intends to use the two major sporting events beyond competition, linking them with education, culture, science and broader development opportunities.
For now, the cooperation remains at the discussion stage, with no detailed formal agreement between Kenya and UNESCO publicly outlined in the President's statement.
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Written by Anne Moses
Reporter and staff writer at Getembe News.
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