President William Ruto to presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Talanta Sports Stadium at the Jamhuri grounds on Ngong Road on Friday.

The 60,000-capacity Stadium is one of the host venues earmarked for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. The construction of the project was approved by the Cabinet in October 2023 as part of Kenya’s commitment to hosting the 38th edition of the continental tournament.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ruto said: “I have agreed with the ministries, and that is why the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Defence are also represented here because we want this stadium to be built to world-class standard using military discipline.

“I will expect our defense team, Aden Duale, the CDF, and the team to make sure all the timelines we have agreed are kept by the contractor and I expect that there will be supervision every week, every two weeks and I will be here myself every three months until this facility is completed.”

The government had earlier contemplated building the stadium in Shanzu, Mombasa. The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) were tasked with overseeing the construction of the project. The Talanta Sports City Stadium is expected to be operational by the end of 2025, offering ample preparation time ahead of the AFCON 2027 spectacle.