Nancy Odindo is a Current Affairs Editor at TUKO.co.ke, covering political and world news. Odindo has over six years of journalism experience and joined TUKO.co.ke in 2023.
Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale has declared that President William Ruto's plan to stage a high-profile football match between Bayern Munich and Ajax will not rescue his political standing, likening the move to a similar spectacle staged by the late former DRC president Mobutu Sese Seko.
Khalwale made the remarks on Saturday, October 30, during a large opposition rally held at Ukunda Show Ground in Kwale county.
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Speaking to the crowd with evident passion, Khalwale warned the president that the longstanding land question along the Coast remained unresolved and would carry a direct electoral consequence.
The senator also accused Ruto of using his public office to benefit his personal business interests, alleging that the president's son operates matatu routes in direct competition with ordinary citizens, and that his egg-farming ventures crowd out small-scale farmers.
Ruto announced a Bayern Munich versus Ajax fixture scheduled for January 5, 2027, as the inaugural match at the newly built 60,000-seat Raila Odinga International Stadium in Talanta City. The announcement drew immediate criticism from opposition figures and sections of the public.
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Khalwale invoked the memory of Mobutu Sese Seko, who hosted the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing bout between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa, as a parallel for what he described as a political distraction strategy.
He then turned the analogy directly on Ruto: "Even if you were to bring Bayern Munich and Ajax to play, after that game between Ajax and Bayern Munich, where will he go?" The crowd responded: "Home."
Khalwale also reminded the president of his own contribution to Ruto's political network, stating that he was the person who first introduced Ruto to the Luhya community and its political base.
Elsewhere, Alex Mwakideu responded to a campaign urging Bayern Munich and Ajax to cancel their planned Nairobi match.
The Raila Odinga International Stadium was named in honour of the late opposition leader and ODM founder.
Mwakideu argued that cancelling it would undermine a tribute to Raila's love of German football and a major opportunity to promote Nairobi.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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