Kenya yesterday took a historic step towards reshaping its football future after President William Ruto met FIFA President Gianni Infantino and officially handed over the title deeds to land earmarked for the Football Kenya Federation’s (FKF) new national technical centre.

The project, supported through FIFA Forward funding, is aimed at becoming the backbone of football development in the country.

On his first official visit to Kenya since assuming FIFA’s presidency in 2016, Mr. Infantino met President Ruto at State House, Nairobi, where the landmark handover took place.

“I was honoured to be welcomed by President William Ruto to discuss our beautiful game and also receive the deeds to the land on which the future of Kenyan football will be built,” Infantino said. He was accompanied by FIFA Vice President and CAF President Patrice Motsepe, Secretary General Mattias Grafström, CAF Director Gelson Fernandes, and FIFA Legend Houssine Kharja.

“The new technical centre in Machakos will be a hub for the national teams of today as a fit-for-purpose facility to prepare for international matches and tournaments,” the FIFA President added. “But it is also a beacon of hope and inspiration for the Kenyan footballers of tomorrow, who can aspire to find themselves there in the years to come.

We are proud of the success of the CHAN 2024 tournament, which we co-hosted with Uganda and Tanzania. Building on these milestones, we are preparing to host AFCON 2027, determined to deliver an even greater spectacle.

As part of these preparations, we are constructing Talanta… pic.twitter.com/Mng2f4Yevu

— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) August 30, 2025

“I want to thank President Ruto, who shares a great passion for football, and his government for gifting the site to FIFA and the Football Kenya Federation. I have every faith that FKF President Hussein Mohammed and his team will give this exciting project all their passion and effort. With the support of FIFA, as well as the guidance of CAF, led by President Patrice Motsepe, we will ensure Kenyan football takes a big step forward.”

Set to be constructed in Machakos County, the USD 4.6 million facility will include one natural grass pitch, two artificial turf pitches, an administration block, and modern conference facilities. Infantino hailed it as more than a training base: “The new technical centre will be a hub for the national teams of today, but also a beacon of hope for the Kenyan footballers of tomorrow.”

Earlier in the day, Infantino and Motsepe addressed a press conference following a meeting with CAF’s 54 member association presidents. They later toured the soon-to-be-completed 60,000-seater Talanta Stadium — one of the flagship venues for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Kenya will co-host with Tanzania and Uganda.

The East African trio had also staged the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), a competition reserved for players based in their home leagues. Infantino capped his Nairobi visit at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, where Morocco edged Madagascar 3-2 in a pulsating final to clinch a record third CHAN title.

“Congratulations to Morocco, who have won the CHAN. Congratulations also to Madagascar who gave it their all on the pitch. It was a great match, a great tournament and a great final,” said Mr Infantino amidst the post-match celebrations at the Moi International Sports Centre.

“But great, great congratulations to Kenya, to its President Ruto, CAF and my brother Motsepe, to everyone who has contributed and especially to all these incredible fans here in Nairobi, here in Kenya. It has been an incredible, unbelievable experience. These people, you the Kenyans, you love football, and you deserve all of this and much more.”

With land secured for the Machakos technical centre and new stadium infrastructure nearing completion, Kenya’s football revival is might be ginning to take shape.