Kenya is slowly becoming a magnet for sporting events on the continent. This has, in turn, injected much-needed funds into the economy.
From the return of the Safari Rally to the World Rally Championship calendar in 2021, to hosting the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024, the Safari Sevens, and now the 2025 Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens at Nairobi’s RFUEA Grounds, Nairobi has been a beehive of activities.
The two-day tournament, set for November 15 and 16, is expected to draw thousands of visitors and inject millions of shillings into the capital’s economy through tourism, transport, and local enterprise spending.
Rugby Africa Women's Sevens is a continental showpiece that also serves as a qualifier for major international competitions like the Olympic Games and the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series.
On the field, the Kenya Lionesses will hope the home advantage takes them over the line and breaks the curse of always finishing second. Most recently, the Lionesses finished in second place in both the 2023 and 2024 editions, falling to South Africa last year.
Clinching the title on home soil will mark the second win for Kenya, whose only win in the tournament was back in 2018.
Hoteliers along Ngong Road and in Westlands are expected to reap the benefits from the competition, which will feature 12 nations, including South Africa, Uganda, Madagascar, and Tunisia.
Officials at the Ministry of Sports say the government’s ongoing investment in facilities such as Kasarani and Nyayo stadiums is now translating into tangible benefits for the hospitality and creative sectors.
The Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens will mark another addition to Kenya’s growing portfolio of continental and global tournaments, following the CHAN 2024.
Since President William Ruto took office, his government has been gradually making changes to leverage the country's record in hosting conferences for sports.
These sporting events bring thousands to Kenya, who end up exploring beyond the Nairobi metropolitan area. The events bring foreign exchange, jobs and a boost to the local economy to the tune of billions of shillings.
During the CHAN 2024 tournament co-hosted with Uganda and Tanzania, for instance, thousands of Kenyans were employed as event staff, stewards, and volunteers.
The influx of fans, teams, and officials means hotels, restaurants, transport services, and informal vendors experienced a boom in business.
Estimates indicate that hosting the CHAN 2024 tournament injected over Ksh700 million into the economy.
This is on top of the over Ksh3.6 billion the government directed towards the upgrading of Kasarani Stadium and Nyayo National Stadium.
Already, the government has directed Ksh45.3 billion to Talanta Sports City, whose construction began in March 2024 for this new 60,000-seater stadium in Nairobi. The completion is scheduled for next month.
Funding has also been allocated for the construction of 37 new sports academies and 22 new stadiums across the country.
As Kenya’s sports hosting capabilities and record grow, the government expects this pattern will lead to more Kenyans feeling the impact in their pockets.
