From radio sets to giant screens, how Kenya's football culture has transformed

When Charles Omondi began following football nearly five decades ago, the experience was simple.

Fans crowded around radio sets, squeezed into social halls, or gathered around a neighbour’s television whenever a major match was on.

“There was only KBC then,” recalls the 55-year-old lifelong Gor Mahia supporter. “People watched football together because very few homes had televisions. It was never just about the game. It was about meeting other fans.”

Last Thursday at Uhuru Park, he found himself in a very different football environment.

Standing among hundreds of football enthusiasts during the World Cup opening ceremony, 27-year-old Victor Evans Onyango watched giant screens illuminate the night sky as music played from speakers, celebrities entertained the crowd, and fans debated everything from tactics to continental politics.

Onyango says that if not for a femur injury he sustained at the age of nine, he would likely have become a professional footballer. “Maybe I could have played for Gor Mahia or even for a top international club like Arsenal,” he says, with a reflective look.

The football remained the same, but everything around it had changed.

The event, hosted during the launch of gaming platform BetGr8, highlighted a growing trend in Kenya’s football culture. Match viewing is increasingly shifting from a purely sporting activity to a broader entertainment and community experience.

Across the country, major tournaments are now opportunities for brands to create fan parks, digital activations, public screenings, and entertainment-led gatherings.

What was once centered around public television sets and community halls is now driven by giant screens, influencers, social media conversations, mobile technology, and interactive fan experiences.

For Omondi, the shift is striking.

Having followed local clubs such as Gor Mahia and international teams including Manchester United and Liverpool for most of his life, he believes football is now more accessible than ever.

“Today you can follow football from anywhere,” he says. “But people still enjoy coming together to watch.”

That sense of connection was clear throughout the evening.

Twenty-nine-year-old Leah Njuguna attended hoping to enjoy the atmosphere, interact with fellow fans, and possibly win one of the prizes on offer.

“It was exciting,” she says. “There was football, music, and the chance to meet new people. You don’t get that experience when watching alone at home.”

Nearby, university student Jack Ndanu and four friends were equally immersed in the event.

They had come to watch the opening ceremony, enjoy performances, and experience football in a shared setting.

For them, football extends beyond the 90 minutes on the pitch. It has become part of youth culture.

“We came for the football, but also for the experience,” Ndanu says.

As conversations flowed through the crowd, football talk occasionally gave way to discussions on current affairs, migration, and South Africa’s treatment of African nationals, with some supporters openly backing Mexico over South Africa during the opening fixture.

The exchanges reflected football’s ability to bring people together while also providing space for wider social conversations.

For Eunice Njoki, a single mother attending with her seven-year-old son, the event meant something different.

Her son dreams of becoming a footballer and currently trains with Jabali Imani Football Club in Nairobi.

“He loves football,” she says. “I wanted him to experience the excitement and see others who share his passion.”

Her presence highlighted another enduring aspect of football, its power to inspire across generations.

While technology has transformed how the game is consumed, football continues to bridge parents and children, strangers and friends, and communities across cultures.

Industry observers note that football tournaments are increasingly becoming cultural and commercial moments that go beyond the game itself.

The World Cup, in particular, has become a platform where brands engage consumers through experiences rather than traditional advertising.

Speaking during the launch, BetGr8 director Jimal Ibrahim said football offers a unique way to connect people through shared experiences.

“Football brings people together like nothing else. We wanted to launch during a moment when excitement, competition, and fan engagement are at their peak. Our goal is to enhance that experience by creating more value for players,” he said.

The company used the event to introduce its “Relax, Tax Tumesort” campaign, which aims to cover stake tax, withdrawal fees, and mobile money transfer charges for users.

The event also featured performances by music producer CEDO, Mordecai Dex, Hart the Band, Maandy, and Fathermoh, alongside fan competitions and electric bike giveaways in partnership with mobility company Spiro.

Raymond Kitunga, deputy country head at Spiro, said such collaborations reflect growing efforts by brands to engage consumers through innovation and community experiences.

The trend is expected to continue throughout the World Cup season, with more watch parties, fan activations, and digital engagement campaigns planned across the country.

For fans like Omondi, however, the core appeal remains unchanged.

As whistles echoed through the crowd and supporters fixed their eyes on the giant screens, he reflected on a lifetime spent following the game.

“Back then we gathered around one television,” he says. “Today we gather around giant screens. But football still does the same thing. It brings people together.”

And perhaps that is the clearest lesson from football’s evolution in Kenya.

The venues have changed, the technology has changed, and the sponsors have changed, but the need to belong has remained the same.