Vihiga County residents hoped that one day, they would have a modern stadium after millions were allocated and promises made to transform the Kidundu Stadium into a modern facility.
Nearly a decade later, the hope has remained just that, hope, as the stadium remains dilapidated and the ground muddy, posing a danger to the athletes using the facility.
In what was supposed to be Vihiga’s top-tier sporting venue, Kidundu Stadium today stands as an abandoned shell, with no changing rooms, no toilets, and an uneven playing surface.
Speaking on Wednesday, residents and athletes using the stadium have revealed that its current state has reduced them to a laughing stock among other athletes, who laugh at their problems.
Among the frustrated is a player from Kidundu United who has watched his team struggle due to the poor condition of the stadium.
"I am asking the government to help us build our stadium. We are playing in the league, but our players keep getting injured. Injuries cost us as a team," he said, calling on county officials to intervene.
The stadium has been likened to a cowshed by residents who are demanding accountability, and they are urging the current leadership to act and make sure that the promises made are kept.
"Every time, there has been a budget allocation which we have been passing through public participation to help build this stadium. But if you look at it, the field is muddy, the toilets are ruined, and it's just sad. This means that someone is sleeping on the job," a resident decried.
The county government initially allocated Ksh15 million for expansion, but little has changed on the ground. Part of the funding was used to build a Ksh10 million perimeter wall, but the structure remains unfinished, raising concerns about fund mismanagement.
A contractor was also paid Ksh2.4 million for stadium development, yet Ksh2.7 million remains unpaid, adding to the county’s pending bills crisis.
Residents and players are demanding answers, questioning how so much money could be spent with nothing to show for it.
Residents are urging Governor Wilber Ottichilo’s administration to step in, provide clear answers and facilitate the upgrade.
