Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, will host Kenya’s Mashujaa Day celebrations on October 20, 2026, as the government continues efforts to modernise the facility ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Named after Kenyan athletics legend Kipchoge Keino, the stadium has served football and athletics for decades.
The government selected it for Mashujaa Day after moving the national celebrations from Kamariny Stadium in Iten, Elgeyo-Marakwet County, because construction at the original venue was behind schedule.
Early Years of Kipchoge Keino Stadium
Kipchoge Keino Stadium was established to serve Eldoret and the wider North Rift region.
The facility was named after Kipchoge Keino, the Kenyan Olympic champion whose achievements helped establish the country as a major force in international athletics.
Born on January 17, 1940, in Kipsamo, Nandi County, Kipchoge Keino grew from modest beginnings to become one of the athletes who put Kenya on the international athletics map.
Before pursuing athletics internationally, Keino served in the Kenya Police Force. He rose to prominence in the 1960s, becoming a leading middle-distance runner.
In 1965, he set world records in the 3,000 metres and 5,000 metres.
At the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, he won the mile and three-mile races.
Keino continued his success at the Olympic Games. At the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, he won gold in the 1,500 metres and silver in the 5,000 metres. Four years later, at the 1972 Munich Olympics, he claimed gold in the 3,000 metres steeplechase and silver in the 1,500 metres.
His four Olympic medals, including two golds, secured his place among Kenya’s most accomplished athletes.
In 2012, World Athletics inducted Keino into its inaugural Hall of Fame in recognition of his achievements, which included Olympic titles and world records.
The stadium also links to preparations for the 1988 All-Africa Games hosted in Nairobi, when it served as an athletes’ training ground.
Over the years, local football clubs, including Rivatex and Eldoret KCC, used the facility for matches. Athletics competitions also formed part of its sporting programme.
Government Efforts to Rehabilitate the Stadium
In 2007, the government set aside KSh100 million to renovate the stadium after it fell into disrepair.
However, the work was slow, and the stadium continued to face infrastructure problems.
In 2014, the Uasin Gishu County Government moved to complete parts of the renovation after funding constraints stalled earlier work.
In 2016, the stadium hosted Kenya’s athletics trials for the Rio Olympic Games, marking the return of a major sporting event. The trials brought together leading athletes competing for places on the national team.
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The Reconstruction Project
In 2016, Sports Kenya began a more ambitious reconstruction programme intended to transform the ageing facility into a modern stadium capable of hosting major competitions.
The first phase included a 15,000-seat stadium, a standard football pitch, a perimeter wall, entrance gates, water facilities and parking areas. The contract was initially valued at KSh304.2 million, then revised to about KSh369.7 million.
A second phase, valued at KSh325.8 million, covered a 5,000-seat pavilion, additional parking, lifts, a generator, water facilities and electrical and mechanical installations.
The projects did not meet their scheduled completion dates, and subsequent inspections by the Auditor-General found that sections remained unfinished, while work on the site had stopped and contractors had abandoned parts of the project.
The stalled work delayed the stadium’s transformation and prompted further government intervention.
AFCON 2027 Revives the Project
Kenya’s preparations to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with Uganda and Tanzania increased the urgency of upgrading sports facilities.
Kipchoge Keino Stadium was among the venues identified for improvement as the country prepared to meet the requirements of major international sporting events.
The planned upgrades included floodlights, a refurbished football pitch, video assistant referee (VAR) technology, CCTV and sound systems, modern changing rooms, media facilities, medical and doping-control rooms, and an international-standard athletics track.
Additional improvements covered the terraces, parking areas, conference hall, indoor games hall and other supporting facilities.
The Ministry of Defence later took charge of supervising the reconstruction as the government pursued a revised plan for the stadium.
The government chose Kipchoge Keino Stadium for Mashujaa Day 2026 because construction at Kamariny Stadium in Iten, the original venue, was behind schedule.
To ensure the national celebrations could proceed on October 20, the government moved the event to Eldoret while assuring residents that work at Kamariny Stadium would continue.
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