Nairobi’s successful bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships has handed Kenya a historic opportunity, but the honour will come with a hefty financial responsibility.Kenya became the first African country to secure the right to host the senior World Athletics Championships after Nairobi was selected by the World Athletics Council on Tuesday, 15 September, beating bids from London, Rome and Munich.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsAs preparations begin, the big question is how much Kenya will ultimately have to spend to stage the global showpiece. The expenditure of recent hosts provides an indication of the scale of investment required.According to a report by BBC Sport, London had committed £45 million, approximately Ksh7.8 billion at the exchange rate used in the report, to its unsuccessful bid to host the 2029 Championships. ##NAJAVA_MECA_968586##The same figure was the amount the United Kingdom spent to stage the 2017 edition in London.Budapest 2023 had a reported budget of about €70 million, roughly Ksh10 billion. Hungarian organisers had projected that the event would generate more than twice that amount in revenues, while World Athletics later reported that the total impact of the Championships exceeded $400 million when economic, environmental, social and media effects were combined.How Kenya won bid to host 2029 World Athletics Championships in NairobiTokyo’s 2025 edition was also a multi-billion-shilling undertaking. Tokyo Metropolitan Government documents show that the final income and expenditure outlook for the Championships stood at ¥16.3 billion (Ksh 13 billion) following cost reductions from an earlier ¥17.4 billion (Ksh 14 billion) plan.Beijing, which will host the 2027 edition, is also expected to operate within a budget running into tens of millions of US dollars, further underlining the financial scale of staging the event.Motsepe rules out Plan B as East Africa races to ready for AFCON 2027For Kenya, the government has already demonstrated its willingness to put substantial resources behind major international sporting events.Recent reporting on the Nairobi bid put the government's financial commitment to the 2029 Championships at approximately $78 million, or about Ksh10.1 billion.World Athletics also confirmed that Nairobi's successful bid was supported by financial guarantees, operational planning and a renovated Kasarani Stadium, which is being upgraded ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.That means some of the infrastructure required for the Championships is expected to be in place before the global athletics event arrives in 2029.The financial burden is also not limited to the competition itself. Former world champion eyes major target after long injury absenceKenya will have to cater for athletes, team officials, media, spectators, transportation, accommodation, security, broadcasting, technology, ceremonies and other operational requirements associated with hosting a global championship.The country's experience with the African Nations Championship (CHAN) also provides a recent example of the scale of public expenditure associated with major sporting events. Kenya paid Ksh1.6 billion in hosting fees to CAF, while the government budgeted more than Ksh57 billion for stadium construction and upgrades ahead of CHAN and AFCON.For Kenya, however, the financial equation extends beyond ticket sales and direct event revenues.History as Kenya lands World Athletics Championships hosting rightsMajor athletics championships attract athletes, officials, fans, international media and commercial partners, creating spending across hotels, restaurants, transport, retail and tourism.The 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, provide a useful example. The organising committee had a budget of $75 million (approximately Ksh9.8 billion), while a post-event Nielsen Sports analysis found that the Championships generated a $153.4 million (approximately Ksh19.9 billion) total economic impact for the Eugene-Springfield area. Direct spending included accommodation, food and beverages, retail, leisure, transportation and organising committee expenditure.The event also generated an estimated $237.4 million (approximately Ksh30.9 billion) when media exposure was included. Nielsen's broader assessment of the event measured its total impact across economic, media, social and environmental pillars at approximately $237 million (Ksh30.8 billion).Budapest offers another example of how organisers view the economic benefits of hosting the Championships. Julius Yego gifted state-of-the-art present by Hungarian javelin greatThe 2023 event was budgeted at about 70 billion Hungarian forints, while organisers projected revenues of more than 130 billion forints.World Athletics subsequently reported that the Budapest Championships generated a total impact of just over $400 million (approximately Ksh52 billion), encompassing economic, environmental, social and media effects.What it could mean for KenyaNairobi will therefore be looking beyond the nine days of competition when assessing the value of the 2029 Championships.The influx of international visitors could provide a boost to Kenya's hospitality, tourism and transport sectors Global television and digital exposure could enhance the country's profile as an athletics and tourism destination.There is also the longer-term value of infrastructure. Kasarani is already undergoing major upgrade with the stadium expected to host AFCON in 2027 before becoming the centrepiece of the 2029 World Athletics Championships. Disappointing World Ultimate result only adds more fuel to the fire, says EwoiWorld Athletics said the renovated facility formed part of the strong foundations behind Nairobi's successful bid.Nairobi also enters the event with considerable experience. The capital hosted the 2017 World U18 Championships and the 2021 World U20 Championships, while the Kip Keino Classic has become part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold.
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