Afraha’s patchy pitch gets new lease of life amid coronavirus lockdown

A worker pushing a roller at the football pitch at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru on April 21, 2020. The stadium is under the county government. PHOTO | FRANCIS MUREITHI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Stadium management grows grass, clears drainage system to ensure surface meets global standards
  • Sh4 billion renovation plan will transform Nakuru stadium to ultra-modern venue
  • The management is also clearing overgrown grass that rings the inside perimeter wall

The management of Afraha Stadium in Nakuru is taking advantage of the postponement of the Kenyan Premier League matches to revamp the facilities deplorable playing surface.

League matches were suspended last month to comply with restrictions in the fight against the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.

The popular stadium is probably one of the best known football pitches outside Nairobi and the home ground of KPL heavyweights Ulinzi Stars, and several National Super League clubs from the region.

The bumpy and unevenly playing surface with poor grass cover has been a nightmare to players.

A former Gor Mahia coach Dylan Kerr once described the pitch as “horrendous”.

“Playing at Afraha Stadium is terrible. The surface resembles a grazing field and players cannot display any entertaining football,” said Kerr in a past interview.

And when it rains, the whole field becomes one giant pool due to poor drainage.

However, this may be slowly changing thanks ironically to the coronavirus lockdown as this has given the management of the stadium time to revamp the pitch.

The stadium is owned by the Nakuru county government.

The management is taking advantage of the heavy rains currently pounding Nakuru to ensure a lush green dominates.

“We have planted grass particularly at the goal area and at the centre which had bare patches and now pitch is slowly shaping up to a smooth football pitch,” said a worker at the stadium early this week.

He added: “We will unblock the drainage to allow a smooth flow of storm water.”

The worker, who could not be named as he is not authorised to speak to the press, said the postponement of the KPL matches and all football activities at the venue was a blessing in disguise.

“The coronavirus pandemic has given the management ample time to plant grass in all the affected areas and level the playing field.

A worker sprinkles water at the football pitch at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru on April 21, 2020. The stadium is under the county government. The stadium is under the county government. PHOTO | FRANCIS MUREITHI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

“The beauty of doing this kind of refurbishment is that there is no pressure because we don’t know when football will be back and as we wait we shall ensure the pitch is fit again for football to be played” said the worker.

He added: “The goal area was a dangerous zone for goalkeepers as it had no grass but when football resumes goalkeepers will almost be playing on a ‘green carpet’.”

The management is also clearing overgrown grass that rings the inside perimeter wall.

However, the general cleanliness of the dilapidated main stand and other vandalised stands might be a tall order as mitumba — second cloth — traders use the stands as their store.

The traders are operating outside the perimeter wall after their trading zone was shifted to Afraha Annex ground to allow for better social distancing in the fight against the virus.

The 60-year-old stadium is a breeding ground for football talent and Nakuru County government plans to upgrade it to international standards, a project whose first phase will cost Sh500 million.

The construction work, funded by Kenya Urban Support Programme, will be in three phases at an estimated cost of Sh4 billion over the next five years.

However, with the arrival of Covid-19, the eagerly awaited ground-breaking ceremony for renovation of the facility into an ultra-modern stadium on the 23-acre piece of land which was set to take place early this year now remains uncertain.