Kenya Railways is upgrading a 13.3km rail link between Nairobi Central Station and the Raila Odinga International Stadium, ahead of the Bayern Munich-Ajax friendly on January 5, 2027. Transport PS Mohamed Daghar inspected the works on November 10, 2026, and the link is due for completion by December 15. Trains will run every ten minutes in both directions.
The Ministry of Roads and Transport says the link will be ready for the match, which will open the 60,000-seat stadium at Talanta Sports City. Bayern Munich and Ajax will meet there on January 5, 2027, in the first match at the venue, which was built ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. The stadium is named after the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The line is designed to move large crowds quickly. Trains will run at speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour, in both directions, at ten-minute intervals. Daghar said up to 1,500 passengers could be carried every ten minutes during the match.
Kenya Railways Managing Director Philip Mainga said the upgraded line will improve connectivity to the stadium and offer a faster, safer alternative to road transport for Nairobi residents during major events. Road congestion around Nairobi’s stadiums has been a problem for past events, and rail offers an alternative for fans travelling from the city centre.
The works are also disrupting existing services. From November 12, Kenya Railways cut the Limuru commuter train to three days a week and limited the Nyahururu Safari Train to the Gilgil-Nyahururu segment, to allow engineering work to proceed. Commuters on those routes will need to plan for reduced services until the works are complete.
The stadium link is part of a wider overhaul of Nairobi’s commuter network. Business Daily has reported that Kenya Railways plans to rehabilitate the 165-kilometre commuter network, including the Nairobi-Limuru route. The corporation has also identified seven commuter lines for rehabilitation and new trains.
Funding for the wider programme has come from several sources. The French government has provided a loan of about Sh20 billion for the modernisation of Nairobi’s commuter rail, according to reports. The stadium spur was first announced in January 2026 as part of Kenya’s preparations to co-host AFCON 2027 with Uganda and Tanzania.
The match is also drawing scrutiny. A petition filed in the High Court seeks to compel the disclosure of sponsorship deals linked to the Bayern-Ajax match. President William Ruto has said the fixture is a fitting tribute to Raila Odinga, and the stadium’s opening is expected to draw wide public attention.
The next signals will be the completion of the rail link by December 15, any trial runs before the match, and the ridership figures on match day. Commuters will also watch whether the Limuru service returns to full frequency once the works are complete.
