NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 11 – The government is considering subsidising ticket prices for the exhibition match between European giants Bayern Munich and Ajax Amsterdam, which will headline the grand opening of the newly built Raila Odinga International Stadium at Talanta City next year.
Kenya’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 Local Organising Committee (LOC) chairman Nicholas Musonye has revealed that plans are underway to make the tickets more affordable to ordinary Kenyans.
Musonye said the committee is working on a subsidy formula, promising that an announcement could be made within a week.
“We were trying to get a formula to subsidise and that process is still in place. We want mwananchi to benefit from this sports facility and to enjoy it. Give us time, like a week or so, to find a formula on how to do it,” Musonye said.
The former CECAFA secretary general clarified that the proposed arrangement may involve purchasing tickets at their original prices before reselling them to fans at a subsidised rate.
“We are not changing the price. We are looking at a situation where someone on the queue (online ticketing) buys and then we sell to the mwananchi at a lower rate,” he explained.
Musonye’s assurance comes after the first phase of ticket sales opened to the public, with the cheapest ticket going for Ksh 2,500.
Other ticket categories are priced at Ksh 3,500, Ksh 5,000, Ksh 15,000 and Ksh 25,000.
The pricing structure, however, sparked complaints from a section of football fans, who argued that the rates were beyond the reach of ordinary supporters.
The first batch of tickets has reportedly sold out, with the Ministry of Sports expected to announce the next phase of sales soon.
Bayern Munich and Ajax Amsterdam are scheduled to face off at the 60,000-seater facility on January 5, 2027, as part of celebrations marking the stadium’s official opening.
The state-of-the-art facility will also serve as one of the venues for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Kenya will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania in June and July.
