Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has stopped the construction of Ruringu Stadium and Othaya Stadium in Nyeri after finding shoddy works on the facilities during an impromptu inspection on Monday.
It’s, however, not clear if the government would hire the services of new contractors to complete the task or create fresh timelines for the current contractors.
Namwamba made the announcement yesterday during a function where the ministry awarded 195 sports and creative journalists at the Weston Hotel in Nairobi.
“We know that Kenyans are very skeptical, that if you tell them that Kenya will host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, they will dismiss you. I can’t blame them, they are skeptical because of the history of disappointments, but we are determined to change that narrative and do things differently. We are determined to host AFCON 2027 and other major events right here,” he said.
He added: “ The infrastructure in sports and creatives has been badly managed. You go around the country and you find very poorly done facilities, criminal actually. Yesterday I attended a Cabinet meeting in Sagana and after the meeting I visited Ruringu and Othaya stadiums to check their status. What I saw at Ruringu is really criminal and even told the characters who were working there to stop because what they were doing there was criminal, the standard of work was below zero. Then I went to Othaya stadium and what I found there was an empty field with mounts of soil, yet its located a few metres from where we laid the third President of the country. This is a new regime with a new sheriff in town and we will certainly change the country.”
Back in May, the CS also warned Laikipia County of having a dilapidated tartan running track in a new stadium, questioning who has been using it and if it was new as purported.
With time ticking for the country to be ready and pass the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stadia standards, an additional stadium will boost the quest.
