As part of their annual Chelsea East African Connect event, Chelsea FC fans from Rwanda, Kenya , and Uganda planted over 200 trees to enhance and provide shade in the gardens surrounding the Bugesera District Stadium, Rwanda.
The event took place Sunday, November 23, 2025, when the supporters of Premier League giants Chelsea FC gathered in Bugesera District to carry out community service aimed at protecting the environment and maintaining the stadium built by the Government of Rwanda in 2020.
Benson Simiyu, the head of the Chelsea fan group in Kenya, said they planned this activity to spend time together, get to know one another, and contribute to the public good.
“We did this as a way to connect better as Chelsea FC fans,” he said, “but also to do something meaningful for the community, such as planting trees at Bugesera Stadium.”
Lwalinda Daniel from Uganda echoed this, saying that football fans should value nature and take part in environmental protection.
“The environment is important because football is played on grass. Planting trees at Bugesera Stadium reminds us of the need to care for our surroundings and preserve this facility,” he explained.
Mbonyanshuti Isaac Oday, Chairman of the KGL Official Supporters Club, reiterated: “This event was not only about bringing Chelsea fans from Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda together, but also about reminding ourselves that caring for the environment is a shared responsibility. Planting trees is part of what any responsible citizen should do, because we all understand how essential they are to our daily lives.”
Bugesera District’s Director of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Unit, Ntazinda Rongin, praised the Chelsea FC fans for planting trees at the stadium, saying it is a valuable contribution to improving the stadium’s appearance.
“What they did is very commendable because they planted different types of trees that will enhance the area, protect the soil, and provide fresh air. We congratulate them for this effort and assure them that we will continue to safeguard these trees. When they return, they will find them healthy and flourishing.”
During this two-day event, the Chelsea FC fan groups from Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya also visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi to learn more about the history of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and to pay tribute to more than 250,000 victims laid to rest there.
Earlier on Saturday, at Zaria Court Kigali, the supporters watched the Chelsea FC match against Burnley FC together, which Chelsea won 2–0.
