The Head of State made the remarks after receiving the Premier League trophy at State House, in Nairobi on Friday. The trophy is in Kenya as part of the 2025-26 Premier League trophy tour.
While confirming he was an ardent Arsenal follower, Ruto admitted the Gunners’ faithful had suffered a lot with heartbreaks, and near misses during the last two decades. He, however, confidently said things have changed for the better since Arsenal are now firing on all cylinders.
Arsenal spirit, swagger alive again
“Kenya is, without a doubt, a football-crazy nation. We don’t just watch the Premier League; we live it, breathe it, and argue about it every weekend as if we owned the clubs ourselves,” explained President Ruto.
“Whether you are red, blue, or sky blue; whether you are Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool or Man City, you can feel the energy across our towns, estates, and villages every day there is a match.”
He continued: “Now, as many of you know, I am a proud Arsenal fan. It is true the last two decades have not been easy for us; we’ve had our share of heartbreaks and near-misses. But if you have been watching the Gunners lately, then you know the style – the swagger, the spirit; it’s all coming alive again.
“So to our friends in the EPL and across Europe, watch out, Arsenal are back. More so, our Man United fans, we are on a roll, but I really sympathise with them.”
While Arsenal are currently sitting top of the 20-team league table with 19 points from eight matches, the Red Devils under Portuguese manager Ruben Amorim are lying ninth with 13 points from the same number of games.
Arsenal have secured six wins, one draw and suffered one defeat, while United have managed four wins, one draw and lost three times. Arsenal have already played United this season winning the first meeting 1-0 at Old Trafford.
Riccardo Calafiori's first-half header gave Arsenal victory after Amorim’s goalkeeping gamble backfired. With the then first choice Andre Onana of Cameroon having not played a game in a pre-season because of a hamstring, Amorim settled for Turkey international Altay Bayindir ahead of veteran Tom Heaton.
However, Bayindir could not deal with Declan Rice’s curled corner which came underneath the crossbar, and he ended up pushing it on to Calafiori, who turned home what turned out to be the winner from less than a yard.
‘Kenya investing in sports academies’
Meanwhile, President Ruto said apart from Kenya’s love for the Premier League, the East African nation was also blessed with quality, singling out former Tottenham midfielder and Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama as among those, who have put Kenya’s flag in the world map of football.
“Football runs deep in our national story from the dazzling brilliance of the late Joe Kadenge to Victor Wanyama, who flew our flag high in the Premier League, and McDonald Mariga, the first Kenyan to win the UEFA Champions League,” added the Head of State.
“These are men, who inspired generations and reminded us that Kenyan talent belongs on the world stage.”
Ruto concluded: “My administration is deeply committed to nurturing talent and unlocking opportunities for our youth. We are investing in sports academies, community facilities, and the creative economy, because we know that sport is not just about competition; it’s about empowerment, unity, and national pride.”
Arsenal will return to the Premier League against Crystal Palace on Sunday, while Man United will play at home against Brighton on Saturday.
