Abiy hails Kenya-Ethiopia rivalry as Ruto pledges world-class sports facilities

By  Bernard Rotich

Reporter

NMG Sport

What you need to know:

• The rivalry between Kenya and Ethiopia has endured through successive generations, from the track legends of the 1960s and 1970s to the modern era.
• President Ruto promised to complete Kipchoge Keino Stadium and accelerate preparations for the 2027 Afcon and 2029 World Athletics Championships.

When Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took to the podium at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret as chief guest at Kenya’s 63rd Mashujaa Day celebrations, he invoked one of the most enduring rivalries in world athletics to make a broader case for African unity, friendship and shared progress.

“Kenya and Ethiopia have been good rivals at various global events which have created friendship,” Dr Abiy told thousands of spectators gathered at the 15,000-capacity stadium, where the two countries’ rich sporting histories provided a fitting backdrop to the national celebrations.

“Different struggles, one conviction, that our future is ours to share. African freedom was not given; it was won by people who would not give up their dignity.”

His remarks captured the paradox at the heart of Kenya and Ethiopia’s relationship in distance running: two neighbours whose athletes have pushed each other to extraordinary heights, turning fierce competition on the track into a shared legacy of sporting excellence.

The rivalry stretches back more than six decades, beginning with Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila, who stunned the world at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games by winning the marathon barefoot, becoming Africa’s first Olympic champion from south of the Sahara.

Bikila defended his title in Tokyo in 1964, this time wearing shoes, as Kenya was beginning to establish its own place on the Olympic stage. Wilson Kiprugut won Kenya’s first Olympic medal, taking bronze in the 800m at the Tokyo Games.

Four years later, in Mexico City, Kipchoge Keino delivered one of the most memorable performances in Olympic history, defeating American favourite Jim Ryun in the 1,500m despite suffering from a gallbladder infection that had threatened to keep him out of the race.

Keino’s triumph came shortly after compatriot Naftali Temu had won gold in the 10,000m, confirming Kenya’s arrival among the world’s leading athletics nations.

From that point, Kenyan and Ethiopian runners increasingly became the principal protagonists in distance running, challenging one another across Olympic Games, world championships and international road races, and continually raising the standards of endurance athletics.

The rivalry has endured through successive generations, from the track legends of the 1960s and 1970s to the modern era, in which athletes from both countries continue to dominate global distance running.

But in Eldoret, the message was that sporting competition should also create opportunities, strengthen regional ties and inspire investment in facilities capable of nurturing the next generation.

President William Ruto used the national celebrations to reaffirm his administration’s commitment to completing the refurbishment of Kipchoge Keino Stadium and investing in other sporting facilities across the North Rift as Kenya prepares to host major international competitions.

He said the Eldoret stadium would be completed with a full spectator canopy in the coming months, alongside investments in Kamariny Stadium in Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kipchoge Stadium in Nandi County and major facilities in Nairobi.

“For many years, Kenyan athletes have competed around the world and it is now time for the world to come to Kenya,” President Ruto said.

“We will continue with the modernisation of Kasarani Stadium, completion of Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, Kamariny Stadium in Elgeyo Marakwet County and Kipchoge Stadium in Nandi County,” the President said.

The investments form part of Kenya’s preparations to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) with Uganda and Tanzania, as well as to stage the 2029 World Athletics Championships in Nairobi.

President Ruto said the programme was anchored on the 60,000-seater Raila Odinga International Stadium at Talanta Sports City, which is expected to be a central venue for AFCON 2027, alongside the modernisation of Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

The President said the facilities would help nurture talent, create employment and strengthen Kenya’s position as an international sporting destination.

He also paid tribute to Keino, the two-time Olympic champion whose achievements helped establish Kenya’s reputation as an athletics powerhouse.

“Kipchoge Keino showed us the way when no one believed Kenya could win on the world stage. This stadium that bears his name must reflect the greatness of his legacy,” he said.

Keino’s achievements, alongside those of other Kenyan sporting pioneers, helped inspire generations of athletes who have carried the country’s flag across the world.

President Ruto also cited Wilson Kiprugut’s Olympic bronze medal in the 800 metres in 1964 and Kenya’s triumph in the 4x400 metres relay at the 1972 Munich Olympics, where Charles Asati, Hezekiah Nyamao, Robert Ouko and Julius Sang won gold.

Their achievements, he said, demonstrated what Kenyan athletes could accomplish on the global stage and the importance of investing in facilities that allow young people to develop their potential.

Kipchoge Keino Stadium upgrade

The refurbishment of Kipchoge Keino Stadium has been among Kenya’s longest-running sports infrastructure projects, with years of delays leaving the facility incomplete despite its importance to Eldoret, a city widely associated with the country’s athletics success.

The stadium was first closed for renovations in 2017, but the project stalled for years, with completion remaining below 20 per cent at one stage.

The turnaround began in 2024 when the Kenya Defence Forces, working with the Ministry of Sports and the Uasin Gishu County Government, took over the project under the Government’s programme to upgrade 33 stadiums across the country.

Inspection reports ahead of the Mashujaa Day celebrations put completion at about 80 per cent, with the main pavilion canopy installed.

The Government has set December 31, 2026, as the target for completion, with the facility expected to meet the relevant FIFA, Confederation of African Football and World Athletics standards.

The stadium’s seating capacity has been increased to 15,671 through the conversion of earth terraces into modern concrete grandstands fitted with plastic seats.

Once complete, the facility is expected to feature a canopy covering all spectator stands, a rehabilitated VIP stand, skyboxes, changing rooms and a media centre.

Other works include a World Athletics-certified tartan track, an upgraded football pitch with modern drainage and irrigation systems, floodlights and a scoreboard designed to meet international broadcasting standards.

The stadium’s refurbishment is intended to provide athletes with a modern training and competition venue while giving Eldoret the capacity to host major sporting events.

Last week, President Ruto assured World Athletics President Lord Sebastian Coe at Eldoret State Lodge that Kenya would meet its obligations ahead of the 2029 World Athletics Championships.

“All of the required obligations will be met,” President Ruto said, referring to funding, anti-doping commitments and stadium readiness.

Lord Coe has called for the nine-day championships to attract full stadiums every night. The event is expected to feature about 2,000 athletes and reach a global audience of approximately one billion people.

North Rift investment

Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii said the investments in sports infrastructure across the North Rift would build on the region’s long record of producing athletes who have won medals and raised Kenya’s profile internationally.

For decades, Uasin Gishu, Nandi and Elgeyo Marakwet have produced athletes who have contributed to Kenya’s success in international competitions. The counties’ shared sporting heritage was reflected in their joint role in hosting activities leading up to the Mashujaa Day celebrations.

“We are excited about the completion of the Kipchoge Keino Stadium and investing in Kamariny Stadium in Elgeyo-Marakwet and Kipkeino Stadium in Nandi County. These facilities will nurture talent, create jobs and strengthen sports tourism even as we look forward to Afcon 2027 and the 2029 World Athletics Championships,” Mr Bii said.

The three counties co-hosted this year’s national celebrations under the theme “Security, Sports and the Economy”, with activities designed to promote participation, identify talent and strengthen links between communities.

A Sh63 million grassroots sports tournament brought the counties together, with competitions structured to involve communities from ward level through to county level. Football and volleyball featured in the programme, giving young people opportunities to compete and showcase their abilities ahead of the national event.

Uasin Gishu hosted football tournaments, Nandi hosted volleyball competitions, while Elgeyo Marakwet organised athletics events.

The co-hosting arrangement was intended to promote cohesion and cooperation among the neighbouring counties while highlighting the North Rift’s contribution to Kenya’s sporting identity.

The national celebrations also placed the region’s sports infrastructure needs under renewed scrutiny, with the Government facing pressure to complete ongoing projects in time for the international competitions on Kenya’s calendar.

For Eldoret, the completion of Kipchoge Keino Stadium carries significance beyond the provision of a modern venue. It represents an opportunity to strengthen the city’s position as a centre of athletics, support emerging talent and attract sporting events, visitors and investment.

And as Kenya and Ethiopia continue to compete for honours on the global stage, the message from Eldoret was that their rivalry need not end at the finish line. It can also serve as a catalyst for investment, regional cooperation and the development of African sport.

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