President William Ruto on Sunday, September 3, 2023, received the English Premier League (EPL) trophy in State House Nairobi.

The trophy was escorted by Nigerian football legend Jay-Jay Okocha.

In a statement after receiving the trophy, Ruto encouraged stakeholders to fully exploit the full potential of football in order to change the fortunes of footballers and coaches.

“The commercial potential of professional football is substantial enough to inspire many upcoming talents, change lives of thousands of players, coaches and communities. We must properly manage the game to develop and exploit this potential,” Ruto stated.

The EPL, which Ruto termed as an inspiration to many, has previously featured two footballers of Kenyan origin including former Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama, who played for Southampton and later Tottenham Hotspurs and Divock Origi (formerly Liverpool), son of former Stars icon Mike Origi.

“The League is an inspiration to millions of young footballers across the world; Africa, Kenya included. It is the ultimate football destination,” Ruto added.

The trophy has been in the country for viewing since September 1, 2023.