On the sidelines of UNGA 81 in New York, President William Ruto met FIFA President Gianni Infantino to advance plans for a FIFA-standard stadium in Mombasa and broader football development projects amid domestic turbulence in the national team.
Discussions included regional technical centres and the FIFA Arena project, building on earlier plans for a Ksh600 million National Technical Centre in Machakos.
The meeting happened while the national team, Harambee Stars, was facing unrest, with player protests and revelations that coach McCarthy had no Kenyan work permits.
# What happened President William Ruto and FIFA President Gianni Infantino met on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24, 2026. The meeting included FKF President Hussein Mohammed and other officials. They discussed a proposed FIFA-standard stadium in Mombasa and broader measures to develop Kenyan football infrastructure.
# Why the Mombasa stadium matters The proposed stadium is intended to serve the Coast region and host international football and sporting events. FKF President Hussein Mohammed described it as part of positioning Kenya as a hub for international football and sports tourism. The conversation fits into a wider government push: Ruto has been promoting investment in sports infrastructure and has said the government is constructing stadiums across the country.
# Technical centres and development pathway Ruto and Infantino discussed establishing regional technical centres aimed at identifying and nurturing young football talent. The stated purpose of these centres is to strengthen grassroots football and provide clearer development pathways for the next generation of Kenyan players. The meeting also touched on the FIFA Arena project and plans for a modern technical centre.
This meeting follows earlier discussions between Ruto and Infantino. In August 2025 they discussed a Ksh600 million National Technical Centre in Machakos, intended to host FKF headquarters and support football development. Kenya is simultaneously completing other stadium projects: Raila Odinga International Stadium is cited as meeting FIFA and CAF standards, and Talanta Stadium is reported to be 86% complete and slated to host AFCON 2027 matches.
# AFCON 2027 and upcoming events FKF briefed Infantino on Kenya's preparations to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with Tanzania and Uganda. The Mombasa stadium proposal and the push for regional technical centres are presented as part of broader preparations for hosting international competitions and expanding Kenya's match-venue capacity.
# Domestic tensions in the national team The meeting took place while the Harambee Stars were in turmoil. Players had staged a protest, and it emerged that coach McCarthy did not have valid permits to work in Kenya. Those issues add a layer of urgency to talks about technical centres and governance, since player-management relations and regulatory compliance are immediate operational problems for Kenyan football.
# What to watch next
# Bottom line Mombasa, regional technical centres, and other infrastructure projects. Those plans build on existing stadium construction and past commitments, but they coincide with immediate problems within the national team that will need parallel attention if Kenya is to meet hosting and development goals.
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