Tell Museveni to Excuse Our Excitement — Arsenal Fan Ruto

Kenyan President William Ruto has lightened the mood at the National Prayer Breakfast with a humorous appeal to President Yoweri Museveni over East African celebrations of Arsenal’s 2025/26 Premier League triumph, turning a football debate into a regional talking point.

Kenyan President William Ruto has jokingly appealed to Ugandan officials to “explain” to President Yoweri Museveni the enthusiasm that followed Arsenal’s 2025/26 English Premier League title win, after Museveni questioned the scale of celebrations across East Africa.

Speaking during Kenya’s National Prayer Breakfast, Ruto—an openly self-confessed Arsenal supporter—turned Museveni’s recent remarks on football fandom into a light-hearted moment that drew laughter from attendees.

“Please explain to our father, President Museveni, about the Arsenal incident,” Ruto said.

The celebrations erupted across Uganda, Kenya and other parts of East Africa after Arsenal secured the 2025/26 Premier League title, ending a 22-year wait for the English top-flight crown. Fans took to the streets in large numbers, with gatherings reported in Kampala and Nairobi stretching late into the night.

In Uganda, celebrations disrupted traffic in several areas, including sections of the Jinja–Iganga highway, as supporters staged processions, music-filled street parties and replica trophy parades.

The win marked Arsenal’s 14th English league title and its first since the iconic “Invincibles” season of 2003/04.

However, Museveni later expressed concern over what he described as misplaced priorities among East African youth, questioning the intensity of support for foreign football clubs compared to local socio-economic issues.

While opening the 12th Parliament at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, Museveni said he declined an invitation to join Arsenal celebrations, saying his focus remains on development priorities.

“One of my people was inviting me to celebrate Arsenal. I asked, ‘What is Arsenal? Celebrate for what?’” Museveni said.

He added that although there is nothing wrong with supporting foreign clubs, citizens should prioritize their own communities and local football systems.

“You can have your Arsenal, but start with your own people first,” he said.

Ruto, however, defended the celebratory mood, joking that even governance concerns could not override football passion.

“I saw he was a bit unhappy about our behaviour here. Somebody told him I am also a fan of Arsenal and he was asking why I support Arsenal instead of Harambee Stars. Please tell him I support both,” Ruto said.

He further joked about the scale of enthusiasm among fans, adding: “The thinking in my head according to him was: is there any way of taxing these Arsenal fans?”

“Tell Mzee Museveni to excuse our street excitement. Waiting for 22 years to lift the Premier League was a long time,” he added.

The exchange has since sparked widespread debate online, with Arsenal supporters defending the celebrations as an emotional release after two decades without a league title, while others echoed Museveni’s call for greater focus on local development.

Videos of fans celebrating in streets, waving flags and dancing to club anthems have continued to circulate widely across social media platforms.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta also reportedly acknowledged the strong support from fans in the region following the club’s title win.

While Museveni’s remarks reflect concern over priorities, supporters argue the celebrations represent a rare moment of shared joy across the region.

Ruto’s comments have now added a humorous regional twist to the debate, turning a football victory into a broader conversation about identity, passion and public priorities in East Africa.

Read Next Article