Just ask any sports enthusiast what 2026 has to offer for sports, and the answer will most likely be the hackneyed “this will be a busy year for sports.”
Every year is a busy year for sports, and 2026 is not short of major sporting events, many of which Kenya will be involved in.
The 23rd Commonwealth Games, involving some 72 former colonies of Britain, takes place from 23 July to 2 August in Glasgow, Scotland, and will be the biggest world event Kenyans will participate in this year. Kenya will be looking to improve on their 13th placed finish on the medals table.
Kenya's gold medallists at the 2025 World Athletics Championships (from left) Lilian Odira (women's 800m), Beatrice Chebet (women's 5,000m and 10,000m), Faith Kipyegon (women's 1,500m) and Emmanuel Wanyonyi (men's 800m).
Photo credit: Reuters
However, Athletics will get us underway, with the 46th edition of the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, the United States, on January 10.
Kenya will be looking to bag the team title for the third consecutive time, having finished top of the medal standings at Belgrade 2024 and Bathurst 2023.
The United States will also host the World Athletics Under-20 Championship at Eugene, Oregon, from August 5-9.
This year will also see the introduction of a new mega athletics event – the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, from September 11 to September.
It will be a biennial event taking place in even years, meaning World Athletics will have a major competition every year.
Of course, the World Marathon Major races, Diamond League meets, and Athletics Kenya meets will also fill the athletics calendar.
The Kip Keino Classic, scheduled for April 26 at the Nyayo National Stadium, will also feature in the athletics calendar of events for 2026.
Kenya Police FC players celebrate with the FKF Premier League trophy after their season-ending match against Gor Mahia at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi on June 22, 2025.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
Away from athletics, Kenyan football will unfold with the continuation of the 2025/26 FKF Premier League, which promises to have an exciting finale as, currently, almost half of the teams in competition stand a chance of winning the title – the top eight are separated by just three points.
Nairobi United will hope to turn around their fortunes in the CAF Confederation Cup, which resumes at the end of this month.
Harambee Stars will be marking their centenary year as they academically compete in the 2027 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, as they, together with Tanzania and Uganda, have already qualified as co-hosts.
Harambee Starlets will compete at the 2026 Women’s African Cup of Nations, which takes place in Morocco from March 17 to April 3. Globally, the World Cup fever will afflict football lovers again.
Harambee Starlets players celebrate a goal against the Gambia in a first leg match of the final round of 2026 Women Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at Nyayo National Stadium on October 24, 2025.
Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group
The first-ever World Cup tournament to feature 48 teams and to be co-hosted by three countries for the first time, will take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
Will Kenya’s elite club rugby competition see another duopoly of Kabras Sugar and KCB, or will Menegai Oilers ruffle the order?
Internationally, fans can look forward to watching the first leg of the HSBC SVNS Division Two series right here in Nairobi from February 14-15.
The DP World Tour Kenya Open golf tournament is scheduled for February at Muthaiga, while the World Rally Championships Safari Rally will be raced in Naivasha from March 12 to 15.
The basketball courts will also have something to thrill. Nairobi United compete in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) for their second time, hoping to progress to the knock-out stages for the first time. The competition will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, from May 16-30.
Last year ended with a bang for Kenyan darts after David Munyua blew the roof off the Alexandra Palace in London with his debut performances in the PDC World Darts Championships in December.
David Munyua of Kenya celebrates after beating Mike de Decker of Belgium in the 2026 Professional Darts Corporation World Darts Championships on December 19, 2025 at Allexandra Palace in the United Kingdom.
Photo credit: Pool
There should be more interest in the sport locally this year and their calendar of events, organised by the Kenya Darts Association-affiliated Sirua Darts, does not disappoint.
The Nairobi open takes place from February 28 to March 1. A Nakuru Tour is planned for May 30-31. Arrows will hit the dart board in Mombasa from August 8-9. An inter-nations showdown is scheduled for October 4-5 before the Nanyuki Tour closes the month on October 31. The Nairobi Darts Master will take place on November 27-28.
Volleyball fans are eagerly waiting for February when Kenya hosts the 2026 CAVB Zone V Club Championship.
Currently, Parkland Sports Club is hosting the W35 Nairobi, a women’s World Tour event that will end on January 12.
The competition counts as a qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, and Kenyan tennis queen Angella Okutoyi, will be swinging her racket for a slot.
