Ruto Announces Bottom-Up Football Tournament
The Head of State revealed that the tournament will have 19 teams drawn from all the 47 counties.
Marvin Chege 
President William Ruto has announced that his government will launch a grassroots football tournament dubbed the 'bottom-up' tournament.
Speaking at Nyayo Stadium during the Jamhuri Day celebrations on Monday, December 12, the Head of State revealed that the tournament will have 19 teams drawn from all the 47 counties.
He added that his government will collaborate with governors from each county to build a team capable of competing in the 2030 FIFA World Cup as well as the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which Kenya is expected to bid to host.
"Arrangements are at an advanced stage to launch a Bottom-up football tournament to be contested by under-19 teams from all 47 counties. We will work with our governors for each County to build a team right from the ward level,"
"This is the first step in our Football Vision 2030 where we target to see Harambee Stars play at the 2030 World Cup and Kenya host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations," he said.
President Ruto praised sports and arts as a mega industry that can employ millions of youths and help grow the economy of the country.
In addition, he would lead in rebuilding and monetising sports and the creative industry through a revolutionary plan dubbed 'Talanta Hela'.
"This is why we have moved with speed to get our football back, to protect Kenya’s proud athletics pedigree from doping, and to streamline collection and distribution of royalties to our artists," he stated.
Kenya's ban from international football was lifted by the world governing body, FIFA, which now gives the team opportunities to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and beyond.
The country will also hope to secure hosting rights for the 2027 AFCON tournament after the Cabinet okayed the ambition to submit a bid to host it alongside other East Africa Community (EAC) States.
“In a bid to revive the prospects of Kenyan football, Cabinet sanctioned the revitalization of football as a key cog of our nation’s social fabric. This national effort will encompass the rebuilding of the national men’s team, the Harambee Stars, and the rebuilding of the women’s national team, the Harambee Starlets,” a dispatch from State House read.
“As a stepping stone towards the target of Harambee Stars qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in the year 2030, Cabinet approved the proposal to host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2027, alongside EAC partner states. Cabinet noted that the joint bid would deploy the power of sports in furthering regional integration.”
To strengthen those bids, Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba recalled former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Victor Wanyama at Harambee Stars, one year after retiring from international football.
Sports CS Ababu Namwamba meets Victor Wanyama at his office on December 8, 2022. /TWITTER.ABABU NAMWAMBA
