President Ruto has announced that the 2026 Mashujaa Day celebrations will now be held in Eldoret City, co-hosted by Elgeyo Marakwet, Uasin Gishu and Nandi counties, abandoning earlier plans for Kamariny Stadium.
The government has moved the 2026 Mashujaa Day celebrations from Kamariny Stadium in Elgeyo Marakwet County to Eldoret City in Uasin Gishu County, weeks after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen identified the stadium as the host venue for the national event.
The change was announced by President William Ruto on Monday, July 13, after hosting leaders from Elgeyo Marakwet, Uasin Gishu, and Nandi counties for consultations on preparations for the October 20 celebrations. In a statement after the meeting, Ruto announced that the three counties will co-host the celebrations, but they will be held in Eldoret City.
"This evening, I hosted leaders from Elgeyo-Marakwet, Uasin Gishu, and Nandi counties to discuss the upcoming Mashujaa Day celebrations to be co-hosted by the three counties in Eldoret City," Ruto stated. The Head of State further directed the leaders to involve all stakeholders in planning for the national celebrations, citing the significance of the occasion.
Although the president did not specify the exact venue within the city that will host the event, such events are usually hosted inside stadiums.
Eldoret City is home to the Kipchoge Keino Stadium, and the stadium might be used to host the event.
The latest announcement means that the government has abandoned earlier plans to host the event at the historic Kamariny Stadium in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
Speaking during a Community Empowerment Initiative at Kamwosor Grounds in May 2026, Murkomen said construction works at Kamariny Stadium had commenced and assured residents that the facility would be completed in time to host the national event.
"We will be in Kamariny Stadium celebrating Mashujaa Day, and by then all the construction works will have been completed," Murkomen said on May 2 this year.
Mashujaa Day is observed annually on October 20 to honour Kenyans who contributed to the country's struggle for independence and national development. The celebrations are held in different parts of the country each year, just like other national holidays, with the host county undertaking preparations in collaboration with the national government.
First-Ever Three-County Co-Hosting
The 2026 Mashujaa Day will be the first to be co-hosted by three counties, with the public waiting to see how the celebrations will be undertaken.