President William Ruto has extended an official invitation to Premier League champions Arsenal to visit Kenya, following extraordinary scenes of jubilation that swept through Nairobi’s streets after the club’s historic title victory.
Speaking on Thursday at the G7 summit in France, the self-proclaimed Arsenal fan revealed his shock at the scale of celebrations that erupted across the Kenyan capital when the North London club ended their agonizing 22-year wait for the Premier League crown at the end of May.
“Arsenal finally closed the gap and it was a huge celebration. I was shocked in Nairobi,” Ruto told reporters at the summit.
“It was a big celebration and I am trying to see whether sometime next year Arsenal can come to Kenya.”
Thousands of passionate Kenyan Arsenal supporters flooded the streets dressed in the club’s iconic red and white colours, waving flags and chanting as their beloved team finally saw off stiff competition from close rivals Manchester City to reclaim English football’s top prize.
The scenes in Nairobi mirrored celebrations in London, underscoring the global reach of the Premier League and Arsenal’s particularly devoted following in Kenya, where English football commands a massive audience.
“I have sent an invitation because I think it would be a great moment for Arsenal to come to Kenya. They have great fans,” Ruto said, expressing hope that the club would accept his offer to visit sometime in 2027.
The invitation represents a potential diplomatic and sporting coup for Kenya, which has long been a hotbed of Premier League fandom, with Arsenal enjoying one of the largest supporter bases in the country.
