Kinoru Stadium set for a major facelift
What you need to know:
- Governor Peter Munya said the stadium will soon be closed for six months for a major rehabilitation to meet modern standards.
- Acting Gender, Culture, Sports and Social Services secretary Mary Mwiti who is also in-charge of Water Department also emphasised that “our slogan as a county is that we want to make Meru a new home of sports.”
Meru’s Kinoru Stadium is set to be given a facelift as the county begins to position itself as a home of sports.
Governor Peter Munya said the stadium will soon be closed for six months for a major rehabilitation to meet modern standards.
Munya said after successfully hosting the Meru Sevens, the stadium which hosts Kenyan Premier League giants Tusker FC’s home matches will be undergo a major reconstruction that would see locals benefit from major tenders.
The governor said his government sees sports as a major business for locals due to high number of people from within and outside the county that attend the events.
He said his county government was keen in making Meru Town, which is the biggest in northern Kenya, a centre for sports.
“When big teams come to Kinoru, people spent the night in our hotels. When Gor Mahia came to play Tusker FC all the hotels were full. I am told the presidential suite at Alba Hotel was also booked for three days," said the governor.
The stadium also hosted the KPL Top 8 final where Tusker beat AFC Leopards 2-1 to retain the title.
Munya further revealed that a police station is among the things that will be built at new Kinoru Stadium to ensure their is enough security during events.
HOME OF SPORTS
Acting Gender, Culture, Sports and Social Services secretary Mary Mwiti who is also in-charge of Water Department also emphasised that “our slogan as a county is that we want to make Meru a new home of sports.”
She noted that the move by Tusker FC to switch its home ground to Kinoru, the establishment of Meru Youth Talent Academy last September whose 10 graduands have been absorbed in National Youth Talent Academy and four by Talanta FC shows the county was serious in promoting sports.
"The Tusker matches are preceded by competitions pitting local teams as a way of scouting for talent and Tusker FC has assured the county that it will be picking some of its players from local clubs," Mwiti said.
She said Meru is rich in rugby talent “and that is why the Kenya Rugby Union agreed that we host the recent Meru Sevens.”
Six schools have also been adopted by the Union to train rugby.
