Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has questioned President William Ruto’s decision to open the new Raila Odinga International Stadium with a match between Bayern Munich and Ajax Amsterdam, saying Kenyan teams should have been given a chance to feature in the historic occasion.
“How can a stadium that will cost 145 billion be paid for by the taxpayers, the people of Kenya? The first game is done by foreigners,” Gachagua said on Wednesday.
The Democracy for the Citizens Party leader questioned why local clubs such as Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards had been overlooked for the January 5, 2027, fixture.
“Why couldn’t you bring one team to play against Harambee Stars? At least we have some local component, because what happened to our patriotism? Our identity as a nation?” he posed.
Gachagua’s remarks have opened a political debate over the choice of teams for the opening match, with critics questioning whether the government has given local football enough consideration in a project funded by Kenyan taxpayers.
“How do you do a stadium at 145 billion and then the first day you bring foreigners to come and play there? What are you telling the people of Kenya?” he asked.
He also linked the decision to the country’s history, questioning the meaning of independence if Kenyans could not put their own teams at the centre of such a major national occasion.
“You know, the colonialists, we draw them out of this country to go away so that we just deal with them on business,” he said.
Gachagua’s criticism came a day after Ruto announced that the two European clubs would play the inaugural match at the 60,000-seat facility in Nairobi.
“Come fifth January 2027, we will open this stadium with a historic match between two giants of European football, FC Bayern Munich of Germany and AFC Ajax of Amsterdam,” the President said.
Ruto described the fixture as the fulfilment of his promise to build a world-class sporting facility where leading international teams could play. He said the event would be supported by corporate partners but did not disclose the full financial arrangements.
The planned match has also raised questions about who will pay for the visiting teams’ travel, accommodation, security and other logistical requirements.
Lawyer Ndegwa Njiru demanded answers on the costs in a post on X on Thursday.
“Who is meeting the full cost of flying in the Bayern Munich and Ajax teams, their technical staff, officials and entourages, including chartered or scheduled flights, accommodation, security, local logistics and all related facilitation?” he asked.
He added: “How much will it cost the tax payer?”
Nyandarua Senator John Methu also questioned the financing of the event, posting: “Is the stadium too good to be opened by taxpayers?”
His remarks drew mixed reactions online, with some Kenyans backing calls for accountability while others argued that the fixture would give local fans an opportunity to watch two major European clubs without travelling abroad.
The government is expected to use the stadium as one of the key venues for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Kenya will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania.
The facility, named after former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, is part of the country’s preparations for the continental tournament.
While the Bayern-Ajax fixture is expected to attract international attention, Gachagua’s remarks have shifted part of the debate to the place of Kenyan clubs in the opening of a stadium intended to serve the country’s sporting community.
The former Deputy President’s central argument is that local football should not be left out of an event marking a major investment in Kenya’s sports infrastructure, even as the government seeks to showcase the country to an international audience.
