Dispute threatens construction of stadium in Nyeri

What you need to know:

  • A long-standing dispute between Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) and the Nyeri County government is threatening the construction of a Sh250 million stadium on a contested 19 acre piece of land.
  • The parcel of land on which Ruring’u Stadium is built has been the subject of an ownership row between the two parties, with efforts to change ownership of the parcel of land from ASK to the county government suffering delays.
  • On Wednesday during the official handing over of the stadium to contractors, speakers hit out at the ASK over attempts to stop the construction of a new stadium on the parcel of land.

A long-standing dispute between Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) and the Nyeri County government is threatening the construction of a Sh250 million stadium on a contested 19 acre piece of land.

The parcel of land on which Ruring’u Stadium is built has been the subject of an ownership row between the two parties, with efforts to change ownership of the parcel of land from ASK to the county government suffering delays.

On Wednesday during the official handing over of the stadium to contractors, speakers hit out at the ASK over attempts to stop the construction of a new stadium on the parcel of land.

ASK officials are said to have locked the main gate to stop the guests from gaining access to the grounds.

For the last 10 years, ASK officials have been renting out buildings that used to be exhibition stands to residents and several churches at Ruring’u and pocketing the money. This is in spite of the fact that ASK had been allocated the 100-acre Kabiruini grounds where they hold their annual trade fair.

Nyeri Central Deputy County Commissioner John Marete said his officers were forced to break padlocks and chains used to lock the gate to gain access to the grounds.

“I have in the past been informed that some youths had been instructed to lock the gate. We had to break the padlock,” he said on Wednesday.

However, Nyeri County ASK chairman John Kibira dismissed the allegations, saying that none of ASK’s officials were involved in locking up the gates of the stadium.

He maintained that change in ownership of land was yet to be formalised” “Negotiations on how ASK can surrender the title deed are going on at the national level. We are not inciting anyone to action, but the position is that the stadium is still in our hands.”

Nyeri County Special Programmes, Youths and Sports Executive Lucy Wanyitu admitted that the county was yet to obtain the title deed for the parcel of land on which the stadium is built but warned ASK against opposing commencement of construction works.