State moves to refurbish Gusii Stadium for Madaraka Day fete
What you need to know:
- The renovations are scheduled to commence on Saturday at the facility which will host Madaraka Day Celebrations on June 1 this year.
The Kisii County government has pumped in Sh60m towards the refurbishment of Gusii Stadium.
The renovations are scheduled to commence on Saturday at the facility which will host Madaraka Day Celebrations on June 1 this year.
Authorities in the region have since said once complete, the current 2,500 seater stadium will constitute a main dais with a capacity to accommodate 2,000 VIPs and 8,000-seater stands.
Currently, the stadium has two spectator stands that have a capacity of 500 people each and a main pavilion which can allow only 700 fans.
The county government spent some Sh52 million to refurbish the facility two years ago, making it suitable for hosting major sporting disciplines.
Gusii Stadium, regarded as one of the most sports facilities in the country, has a poor running track.
Teams from the region that host matches at the facility are set to benefit from the renovations. Among them are National Super League (NSL) side Shabana FC, Gusii Starlets and Resolution Kisii.
Gusii Stadium successfully hosted the sixth edition of the Kenya Inter-County Sports and Cultural Association (Kicosca) Games in August 2018 and 40th edition of the Kenya Communications Sports Organisation (Kecoso) Games last year.
Speaking during the grounds inspection on Wednesday, Principal Secretary (PS) in the department of State Department for Public Works, Gordon Kihalangwa said a multi-agency team would remain on the ground to ensure the facility is completed on time.
“There will be a beehive of activities in the stadium and I am optimistic constructions will be finalised in the shortest time possible,” he said.
The county government will finance the construction of VIP dais, rehabilitation of the playing surface, parking ground and the running track while the national government will finance construction of 10 spectator stands with a sitting capacity of 800 each.
