Tharaka Nithi Stadium 'to be handed over by end month'

The Sh247million Kirubia stadium in Tharaka-Nithi County is slowly taking shape, with the contractor promising that the 4,500-seater facility would be ready to host international matches at the end of the month.

Toddy Civil Engineering Company said they were already past the 85 per cent mark and would hand over the stadium to Sports CS Amina Mohammed by July 31 as she had directed.

Its construction began in 2016 and was set to be completed in 2017. A visit to the iconic facility nestled at the foot of the scenic Mount Kenya, off the Embu-Chuka road about 170 kilometres from Nairobi revealed a beehive of activities as workers raced against the clock.

Boniface Shiveka said they had already installed tiles in the changing rooms and toilet facilities in the main pavilion and were now building a 100,000-litre septic tank.

Before now, the contractor had built an underground tank with similar water capacity to ensure the stadium had sufficient water for watering the turf and other uses.

However, athletics enthusiasts who had all along expected to have a tartan track to be laid during the current phase will be disappointed as the contractor clarified that it was not part of the contract.

In its place, Shiveka says they will put murram on the running track and the same will be extended to the parking lot and on the surface behind the pavilion.

The stadium by the national government will augment the county government’s effort to support sporting activities after the ongoing construction of smaller stadiums in its three constituencies.

Governor Muthomi Njuki who has been pushing for the facilities says the move is a major milestone, since the county could not host even a schools national sports event due to lack of good playing fields.

Sports director Stephen Kamau says the first phase of construction of Kairuni in Maara, Nyangumi at Marimanti in Tharaka and Kathwana in Chuka Igambang’ombe was complete and is aimed at developing sports at the grassroots.

The facilities will all have a football pitch, a rugby pitch, an athletics track, a volleyball court and a basketball court.

With a population of 393,177 people according to results of the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, the tiny county which excites Kenyans during General Election years, is hardly mentioned when it comes to sports or sports facilities.

The county’s only known sports personality is perhaps sprinter Anderson Mureta who was part of Kenya's 4*400 metres relay team to World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea in 2011.

Mutembei Mutiiria, a journalist who has been sponsoring the annual Academy Cup since 2013, says the region is bubbling with untapped talent and predicts that the stadium will help the youth get exposure.

“I had not planned to start the tournament, I just wanted to celebrate my birthday in style but the players pushed me to continue. Last year was the largest and about 30 teams participated. The talent is there, the competition is very high. If they play before a larger audience and be spotted, they will prosper,” he said.

Tharaka constituency boasts of 68 registered men football clubs, Maara 45 and Chuka 67 and 26 active women football clubs.

Notable clubs are Panga FC, Live Wire, Kibugua Junior, Kathwana youngsters, Maara Young Tigers and Kairuni football clubs which are participating in the county league.