Nairobi sports festival 2026

The Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation and Omanyala Foundation unite for a two-day multi-sport festival at the University of Nairobi Sports Ground on 20–21 November, which will spotlight talent from Nairobi's informal settlements and mark World Children's Day 2026.

The Nairobi Sports Festival is Nairobi's premier multi-sport and fitness event platform, dedicated to discovering, nurturing, and elevating sporting talent while promoting fitness and community development. Founded on the conviction that every child—regardless of the neighborhood they were born into, deserves a stage, the festival brings together sports enthusiasts in a high-energy celebration of human potential.

Timed to coincide with World Children's Day on 20 November 2026, the inaugural edition marks a historic collaboration between two of Kenya's most credible sport-for-development institutions: the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation and the Ferdinand Omanyala Foundation.

Key objectives

Safe, High-Visibility Participation: Provide a structured platform for over 2,000 children and youth from Nairobi's informal settlements (including Kawangware, Korogocho, Mathare, Kibra, Mukuru, Kayole, and Dandora) to take part in organized sport.
Sustainable Funding: Raise resources for a year-round sport-for-development and welfare program serving informal-settlement communities.
Child Rights Advocacy: Mark World Children's Day 2026 with a strong public statement on child protection, rights, and participation.
Talent Identification: Identify and showcase raw sporting talent for onward referral to academies and development programs.

Event Disciplines & Format: The festival features competitions across football, basketball, volleyball, athletics (ranging from sprints to a 15km road race), cycling, tennis, outdoor board games, a dedicated CEOs/Corporate Challenge, and inclusive family activities. Public schools, private schools, universities, professional athletes, and community teams will compete side by side.