President William Ruto has extended an invitation to newly crowned Premier League champions Arsenal to visit Kenya, saying thousands of jubilant fans who flooded Nairobi to celebrate the club’s title deserve a chance to host the team.

Speaking during an interview at the G7 summit in France, Ruto said he had already sent an invitation to the North London club after their first league title in more than 20 years sparked wild celebrations across the Kenyan capital at the end of May.

"Arsenal finally closed the gap and it was a huge celebration. I was shocked in Nairobi..It was a big celebration and I am trying to see whether sometime next year Arsenal can come to Kenya." Ruto told Reuters.

Thousands of Kenyan Arsenal supporters dressed in the club’s red and white colors and waved flags as the Gunners held off Manchester City to end a 22-year wait for the Premier League crown.

Ruto called the turnout a sign of the club’s deep following in Kenya. The celebrations in Nairobi were widespread, with fans gathering in the CBD, Umoja, Roysambu, and Kasarani, blowing vuvuzelas and climbing onto vehicles.

"I have sent an invitation because I think it would be a great moment for Arsenal to come to Kenya. They have great fans," the President said.

Ruto has repeatedly declared his allegiance to Arsenal in recent months. Last year after receiving the Premier League trophy at State House, as part of the 2025-26 Premier League trophy tour, Ruto confirmed he was an ardent Arsenal follower, admitting 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.

“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.”

He also backed the club during the UEFA Champions League trophy visit in April, saying he hoped they could overturn the result in Paris and lift the trophy for the first time.

In February, he sponsored two Kenyan content creators, Arsenal fan Stephen Otieno “Useful Idioty” and Manchester United fan Kevin Masagara, to watch their teams live in the UK.

The President said he would buy business class tickets and accommodation so they could “get experience” ahead of the opening of Talanta Stadium.

ODM Chairperson Gladys Wanga has also in the past urged Ruto to invite Arsenal to play Harambee Stars in a “Raila Odinga Memorial Cup” next year.

Arsenal have not yet publicly responded to the invitation. The club has a massive following across East Africa, and a visit would mark the first time a reigning Premier League champion tours Kenya. Ruto said such a trip would recognize the passion of Kenyan fans and strengthen sports culture.