Mvurya hails top organiation of Nairobi City Marathon '26 edition

Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya has hailed the successful staging of the fifth Nairobi City Marathon, saying the event is helping inspire a new generation of athletes across the country.

Speaking at Uhuru Park - Nairobi, the race's finish line, Mvurya said the marathon had achieved its objective of nurturing talent while bringing together thousands of participants from different backgrounds.

"The main goal was to inspire new talent and we are happy that the marathon has been a success," said Mvurya.

The CS noted that the government had worked closely with organisers to ensure the event ran smoothly, adding that adequate budgetary provisions had been put in place to cater for all aspects of the race.

Mvurya said the government is now looking beyond Nairobi and hopes to strengthen athletics development at the grassroots level to ensure more young people across the country get opportunities to participate in sports.

In the same breath,  he revealed that the construction of a new stadium in Wajir is nearing completion and expressed optimism that it will help promote athletics and other sporting activities in the region.

The Sports CS further described the Nairobi City Marathon as an important platform for marketing Kenya internationally, saying sports tourism continues to play a key role in promoting the country's image.

"We are working closely with different stakeholders because sports is one of the best ways of profiling and marketing Kenya to the world," he said.

Mvurya also disclosed that the government has finalised a draft sports policy which has already been presented to Ministry stakeholders for review and input before implementation.

He expressed confidence that the new policy will help strengthen sports development and improve the management of sporting activities across the country.