*Undated
The government through Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has vowed to truly support any due cause intended to build and improve the state of sporting centers more so stadiums nationwide.
Backlash has recently arose but the CS has hit back at critics, urging them to appreciate the work done in a record of eight months as was directed by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Work is still ongoing on the projects and these are some of the Stadiums to look out for as the New Year approaches.
- Afraha Stadium
The Afraha Stadium will be able to accomodate 20,000 spectators once renovations are complete. The Nakuru County Government has revealed that the Ksh 650 million Afraha Stadium renovations are set to be complete by March 2022.
Renovations of an 8,000 seater stadium commenced back in January 2021 and rendered 2010 Kenyan Premier League champions Ulinzi Stars ‘homeless’.
Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui announced that the stadium will be upgraded to international standards. “Through the funds allocated by World Bank, we are changing the face of Afraha Stadium. We had old structures before and could not accommodate many spectators. We now want to refurbish the stadium which will cost about Ksh. 650 million in the first phase after which the second phase will commence to expand the stadium."
2. Gusii/Nyachaye Stadium
Kisii County will spend another Ksh 96M for upgrading the historic Gusii/Nyachaye Stadium. The 12,000 capacity facility has been closed several times from 2014 when the renovation works started.
This is after Governor James Ongwae assented a 12.5bn budget for the 2021/22 fiscal year on Saturday. Members of the assembly had approved the financial estimates a week ago after intense scrutiny and deliberations. "Immediately I took the mantle in 2013, I embarked on the expansion and modernisation of the stadium. Kisii is a sporting region and I thought, as a governor, that this stadium will remain behind as a reminder to my people that indeed devolution works," said the county boss.
3. Dandora Stadium
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja has assured that the stalled Dandora stadium will be completed before the 2022 General Election.
Sakaja, who toured the facility in his capacity as the chair of the Senate Labour Committee on Wednesday 1st December 2021 alongside other members of the committee, committed to ensure that the pending works remaining at the stadium will be completed before August next year.
The Ksh 350 million stadium was commissioned in 2018 and should have been commissioned in 2020 in July but works stopped owing to poor workmanship on the part of the contractor. The Dandora Stadium is one of the four stadiums in Nairobi that were allocated Ksh1.3 billion in the financial years 2017/2018, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020.
The other three are Ziwani which was given Ksh186.6 million, Kihumbuini Ksh 250 million and Kawangware which was also given Ksh 250 million. Works for the three have never commenced to date.
4. Narok Stadium
The construction of the stadium began following a successful request by the defunct Narok town council and the then Ministry of Local Government. Located along Nairobi-Narok highway, the ground boasts of two changing rooms, referee rooms, ablution blocks and a perimeter wall.
The construction of the stadium, now with 30,000-seater capacity, began following a successful request by the defunct Narok town council in 2013. The the Ministry of Local Government pumped about KSh313.6 million into the sports facility at the time for the construction of the playing field, a running track and VIP terraces, with an initial capacity of 5,000.
5. Kiambu-Kirigiti Stadium
Construction work on the historic Kirigiti Stadium in Kiambu is now 50-70 per cent complete.
The upgrade project is undertaken by the national government in collaboration with the county government at a cost of Ksh 600 million. It will be a 16,000-seater facility.
Kiambu Youth and Sports executive Eric Kiriko said the stadium will be crucial to nurturing and developing talent, creating jobs, and enabling the county to earn extra revenue.
Kirigiti Community Football team captain James Kaara also lauded the project, saying the modernisation will enable the stadium to host nationwide, premier league and even international matches. "Apart from giving us a standard home ground, this will inspire young footballers from Kiambu to become better players,” he said.
When completed the stadium will have a VIP pavilion, netball and volleyball courts, two basketball courts, a swimming pool, an amphitheatre, a football pitch, and a modern athletics track.