State set to begin work on stadiums

Sports Kenya chairman Fred Muteti (centre) displays an agreement between Makueni County and the Government on planned construction of a stadium in the county January 20, 2017 at Safaricom Stadium. County representatives Rosemary Maundu (left) and Joshua Wambua look on. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • Muteti said stadiums to be built in Marsabet, Kiambu, Tharaka Nithi, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nyeri, Makueni and Eldoret meet the required standards.
  • He said county governments will manage the planned stadiums.

The government has taken the first step towards building football stadiums it promised in its manifesto.

Speaking on Friday during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the Sports Ministry and seven county governments set to benefit from the stadiums, Sports Kenya chairman Fred Muteti said construction works on seven stadiums costing Sh1.5 billion will start immediately.

Muteti said stadiums to be built in Marsabet, Kiambu, Tharaka Nithi, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nyeri, Makueni and Eldoret meet the required standards.

Muteti said due process was followed procurement for the works, adding that the work on the named stadia would start at the same time and completed by early August, 2016.

Plans to build the stadiums come just seven months to the General Election. In its pre-election pledge, Jubilee government had promised to construct five new sports stadiums in Kisumu, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret and Garissa.

But Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario recently revealed that they are now  keen on developing and renovating facilities at the county level rather than building new ones..

In the 2015 Budget, Cabinet Secretary for Treasury Henry Rotich had allocated Sports Kenya Sh1.8 billion towards financing construction of five stadiums.

But the Sports Ministry says they have given priority to the counties and that the money allocated to the ministry as seed money to build the stadiums will now be re-allocated to support counties.

The Sports Ministry had come up with an ambitious plan for rugby stadium in Nairobi’s Posta Ground along Ngong Road. The facility was to feature a sports science hospital, residential apartments and shopping mall.

“We have taken long to start the construction because we had to find a suitable land, right equipment and manpower,” Muteti said.

He said the planned new stadiums, with the exception of Kipchoge Keino Stadium whose construction is almost complete, will accommodate between 15,000 and 25,000 spectators.

He said county governments will manage the planned stadiums.