Ruto offers fresh pledge for stadiums

Deputy President William Ruto Friday pledged that the national government would within the next one year deliver on its promise to complete various stadiums across the country.

Speaking during the Kenya Inter-Counties Sports and Cultural Association (Kicosca) Games at Kericho Green Stadium, Ruto also said special attention would be paid to women’s sports noting that the group had not been properly recognized.

The development of stadiums, he said, would elevate the country’s standards to host key international competitions “with an eye on the Olympics in the future.”

Kenya, he said, was gearing up to hosting the IAAF World Under-20 Championships next year, coming hot in the heels of the successful Under-18 championships in 2017.

Ruto said following the creation of the sports and arts fund, the government would embark on the construction of the stadiums and completion of those that had stalled.

“Since we have a predictable and reliable source of resources, sporting events and programmes will be funded to harness talents.

“I am informed by the Ministry of Sports that construction of all the stadia we had promised will be finalized within the next one year,” said Ruto.

The announcement comes in the backdrop of a serialization by Nation Sport on the state of stadiums in the country, most of which are in a deplorable state.

In their pre-election manifesto, the Jubilee government pledged to construct five new modern stadiums, none of which has, however, taken off the ground almost eight years later.

Ruto said the national government would work with the 47 counties to establish sports academies in all the counties so as to identify and develop talents among youths across the country.