Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba was on Saturday left in shock after coming face to face with the appalling current status of Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret town.
Despite over Ksh100 million having been used on construction works for the stadium, the CS said it was worse off than when he left it 10 years ago.
“No progress has been made. The little that has been attempted to be done here is even worse,” noted the CS.
Namwamba was a Sports Minister about 10 years ago, and says he launched an an ambitious program to give the iconic stadium a facelift.
Sadly, nothing has changed since then.
After an assessment of the ongoing construction at the stadium, the Sports CS has now declared the works as substandard.
Audit of stadiums
This might force works on the stadium named after legendary athlete Kipchoge Keino to start a fresh.
“The quality is not up to standards. Sporting facilities in Eldoret should of right Standards. We want to be able to host international sports as a honour of this being home to international athletes,” Namwamba noted.
A visit to Kipchoge Keino Stadium comes just days after a similar visit to Kinoru Stadium which also has a similar conclusion – substandard work.
Already an audit on all ongoing construction works on the stadiums across the country has been ordered.
“This is a case of mismanagement, corruption and misuse of public resources. It affirms the urgency of the audit,” the CS noted.
Namwamba says the outcome of the audit will inform the government on their next course of action as it moves to ensure they have modern sporting facilities.
He also revealed that the national government will work the the county government of Uasin Gishu to ensure completion of the 64 stadium whose construction works have also stalled.
Contractors on spot
Works on 64 stadium, expected to cost Ksh1.2 billion until completion were being funded by the World Bank.
Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii Chelilim who accompanied the CS during the visit said it was sad that the government might be forced to start afresh on the Kipchoge Keino Stadium project.
“A lot of money has been used on this stadium but there is nothing to show for. It is sad that we have to start again,” said Chelilim.
The Sports CS further put on notice contractors working on stadiums.
He warned that the government will not pay pending bills to contractors who have worked on substandard projects.
Nonsense the minister should stop taking us bark to stone age, most Kenyan towns don’t own proper stadiums, Mombasa and kisimu being second and third largest towns don’t have proper stadiums, by saying that work will start afresh is telling us that he will demolish the stadium and it will stalk for arnather twenty years, he should get a Chinese constructor and let him finish off the stadium in the best ways possible, if he want to bild a grand stadium in eldorect to plz ruto he can start anarther stadium , in anarther ground afresh, from scratch but he should focus on completing all on going stadiums and putting terraces around all on going stadiums, homa bay, garisa, kip keino, afraha, narok, bukungu, Inooro, and bolt a start of art stadium in Mombasa after completing ronal ngala stadium 😎
[…] Government Declares Construction Works at Eldoret’s Kipchoge Keino Stadium Substandard […]