NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 13 – The Uhuru Cup race day takes place this Jamhuri Day weekend, on Sunday, December 14, 2025, as Kenya marks 62 years of independence and 128 years of racing.
That horse racing pre-dates Kenya’s struggles and transition to self-rule and has survived through the many evolutions that the country has seen makes it an intrinsic part of the history of Kenya.
The once-famous colonial pastime has shed itself of the shackles that held the sport back in recent times and re-established itself into a spectacle for Kenyans, by Kenyans.
The change is indicative of the strides that Kenya has made since independence, now evident on the track across everyone who makes racing work and happen.
The metamorphosis and transfiguration of the sport in Kenya, which had come to its knees just before the COVID-19 global pandemic, stems from a complete change in the thinking and reasoning around what racing is, how it should be, and what it could be.
This echoes the global reinvention that has swept through the racing world as the old guard have been replaced with an overdue change that pays homage to the traditions but which understands a new world and what the sport must become.
The defining characteristic of the revitalised Sport of Kings in Kenya is founded in a strong move away from the colonial past to a modern sport that is now inclusive.
Racing has redefined itself to address and understand the crowds, patrons, and audiences and build an event with entertainment around the sport that is an all-round experience.
– Horse Racing and Fashion –
Fashion, which has traditionally been a mainstay of race days across the world, has been reintroduced, allowing Kenyans to express and define themselves.
Concurrently, as part of its rebuild, racing has invested in a strategy that ensures that the sport is self-sufficient, paving the way forward for an unburdened financial model that better serves everyone involved.
This has contributed to making racing one of the most attractive sports and opportunities for sponsors and corporates who can benefit more wholesomely from their investments.
The investment in the sport, the horses, the trainers, the jockeys, and the owners has also seen significant growth, particularly with the number of horses being purchased locally and internationally for racing in Kenya having increased, representing an appreciable investment not just in the now but also in the future.
The result is that horse racing is now a closer reflection of what Kenya is and represents: maintaining world-class standards and professionalism, dispelling the idea that local cannot pull off a successful event.
Set against the stunning backdrop of Ngong Forest in the heart of Nairobi, Ngong Racecourse is one of the most picturesque racing venues in Africa, and racing in Kenya has become synonymous with elegance, tradition, Kenyan haute couture and fashion, and a lively atmosphere that is populated with racing fans, social butterflies, celebrities, and glamour.
Such is the growth of racing in Kenya that it has caught international attention and was recently featured in The Guardian.
A Kenyan creative agency, Kivuli Creative, is largely credited with the strategy that has turned racing around and helped to make it what it is today.
Their philosophy and thinking are etched in the idea that, like the struggles that Kenya faced for Uhuru (Independence), horse racing, the sport that transcends all boundaries, the timeless tradition that continues to captivate the world, is a reminder that dreams can come true, even against all odds.
