Kenya recently suffered a huge blow after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on October 29, banned Kenya’s two main stadiums, Kasarani and Nyayo, from hosting international matches.
This sparked a debate on the state of many incomplete stadiums that the Jubilee government had promised to construct.
Various political leaders have also come out and raised their concerns on laxity by the government to fulfill its promise.
“Madam @AMB Amina Chawahir Mohammed, from 2018 to date, Kamariny stadium has stagnated under your watch,” Murkomen stated in a tweet on October 2.
Many of the promised Government stadiums have been under construction for more than four years and are yet to be completed.
Kamariny Stadium
Construction of the stadium in Elgeyo Marakwet County began back on January 5, 2017 and was estimated to be complete in a period of eight months.
The project was faced with financial challenges leading to it stalling between 2007 and 2020.
A return to work deal was signed on May 12, 2020, with a planned completion date July 31, 2020, which was later revised to December 31, 2020.
According to a parliamentary report on the status of the stadium, in October 2020, the stadium was at 30 percent complete.
The project's contract cost was estimated at Ksh287,837,775 with Ksh81,590,104 being the money spent on the stadium.
Marsabit Stadium
The project to build this stadium began on January 5, 2017, where the completion period was set at eight months.
The Ksh295 million project as of at October was 45 percent complete.
The total money already spent is Ksh125 million with a balance of Ksh169 million expected to be paid cleared upon completion.
Ruring'u Stadium
The stadium that is in Nyeri County was also among the projects that commenced on January 5, 2017.
The project which stalled was to be done in eight months with the facility currently at 30 percent.
The estimated cost of the project was at Ksh285 million with Ksh84 million already spent.
Karatu Stadium
The construction of the stadium in Kiambu County started in January 2017, before the project stalled.
The project as of October 2020, in a parliament report was at 20 percent despite its completion date being revised to December 31, 2020.
The report by parliament showed that Ksh259 million was the estimated budget, with Ksh102 million having been spent on the stadium.
WOTE STADIUM
The facility is in Makueni County and its construction kicked off on January 5, 2017. According to a parliamentary report, the stadium was to be complete on October 2020.
The project was faced with the hurdle of changing the initial site with the new site posing topographical challenges that made excavation difficult.
Ksh299 million was budgeted for with Ksh113 million having been pumped into the stadium.
When CAF banned Kenya's biggest facilities from hosting international competitions their reasons were that two stadia did not meet the international standard to stage FIFA/CAF related matches.
“Kasarani Stadium should undergo general rehabilitation work. The pitch is in poor condition. Overall pitch condition must be improved, and the surface must be levelled, green and marked clearly in white."
“All the current teams and referees’ dressing rooms need a full upgrade and renovation. The teams and officials’ dressing rooms are not up to the standard for professional footballers use. It needs general maintenance, renovation, and appropriate high standard equipment. Consider demolishing the current dressing rooms and toilets, and build new ones,” CAF statement directed.
This happened despite Ksh23.5 billion being spent by the Sports Ministry on Sports within the last three years.
