Situated in Runda, Kiambu County is a Ksh2 billion private sports centre, Wadi Degla. The centre is owned and operated by Egyptian company Wadi Degla Holdings.
In Kenya, the centre is managed by Joseph Reda, who is among the biggest investors. Reda has been in Kenya since 2010 when the construction of the centre commenced.
The private sports centre, which is under parent company Egypro, sits on a 10-acre piece of land with plans of developing another in Karen already at advanced stage.
The concept of Wadi Degla has been in Egypt since inception in 1994. Wadi is an Arabic name that means valley, with Degla being a famous valley in the north African country.
Joseph Reda, whose father was a clothes vendor, introduced him to the world of entrepreneurship at the age of 15 years.
Despite working at his fathers shop, he later pursued civil engineering at the university and he attributes this to his success.
“Working in the shop in the busy streets allowed me to interact with people of all walks of life. So from an early age, I learnt that art of talking to people but I ended up doing civil engineering which helped me be a more organised person,” Reda stated in an earlier interview.
The sports club headed by Reda was the first to introduce branded sporting academies concept in various disciplines such as rugby, football, swimming, tennis, squash and athletics.
During its launch, the club signed a partnership with Arsenal Football Academy in order to grow talent in the country.
The club has also partnered with Mwamba Rugby Football Club in a move aimed at growing rugby among young players.
The Ksh2 billion facility has a football pitch that is surrounded by a running track and another track for those who love walking off the tarmac.
Also present in the club are four tennis courts and a multipurpose court where one can play basketball, handball or volleyball. A training swimming pool is also available.
There is also a children's play area which is fitted with a special kind of ‘carpeted floor’ for their safety while they play. The club also has several eateries in it.
For one to be a member, you are required to pay Ksh950,000 as registration fee. Once one becomes a member they pay an annual fee of Ksh60,000 for the club's services.