Gusii Stadium to get Sh96 million upgrade

Kisii County will spend another Sh96m for upgrading the historic Gusii Stadium.

The 12,000 capacity facility has been closed several times from 2014 when the renovation works started.

This is after Governor James Ongwae assented a 12.5bn budget for the 2021/22 fiscal year on Saturday. Members of the assembly had approved the financial estimates a week ago after intense scrutiny and deliberations.

“Immediately I took the mantle in 2013, I embarked on the expansion and modernisation of the stadium. Kisii is a sporting region and I thought, as a governor, that this stadium will remain behind as a memory to my people that indeed devolution works,” said the county boss.

Health and roads, which are governor Ongwae legacy departments, will take the lion’s share of the budget.

According to the estimates, the department of health will receive Sh4.7bn while roads and urban development was allocated Sh1.2bn.

Governor Ongwae, who is on his final year at the helm of the county administration, will be banking on the budget to finalise stalled projects in the region.

Among the incomplete projects are local playing grounds in all the 45 wards whose construction started in 2016 but have stalled with the devolved unit citing lack of funds.

Some of the Sh96m allocated Gusii stadium will be used to improve local fields according to the county executive for finance, Amos Onderi.

In 2016, a programme to improve community playgrounds in all the 45 wards was rolled out and Sh133m was set aside.

The improvement works were to include fencing, levelling and installation of goal posts and other features.

In his tour of Gusii region in February, President Uhuru Kenyatta said the national government had injected Sh150m towards the completion of upgrading works at Gusii Stadium.

He directed that the drainage system be improved and a tartan track installed to international standards.

Gusii Stadium successfully hosted last year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations after the government funded its renovations with the county government pumping some Sh60m.

At the launch of the repair and upgrading works in 2014, Ongwae announced that Sh50m had been set aside for the project which he said would be completed "in a few days."

In 2018, the facility was listed among the best stadiums in the country after it successfully hosted the Kenya Inter-County Sports and Cultural Association (KICOSCA) games.

The following year, the facility also hosted the 40th edition of the Kenya Communications Sports Organisation (Kecoso) Games.

Last month, technical officials from Athletics Kenya (AK) led by John Kimeto and George Kariuki toured the project and inspected the ongoing works.

"We came here courtesy of Sports Fund to check on the progress of the stadium. Sports Fund is keen to support the ongoing works so that this stadium meets international standards,” said Kimeto, Athletics Kenya's executive committee member.

“The stadium is taking shape and so far 20 per cent of the works have been done. Once the football pitch is redone, the contractor will start laying the tartan.”

Already, 10 new spectator stands with a sitting capacity of 800 each are up in addition to other two that were in place and a presidential pavilion with a capacity to accommodate 2,000 VIPs.

Other improvements include holding areas for VIPs at the main dais, lights, water points as well as parking spaces. Thirty two toilets and a parking of about 30 vehicles are also in place.

For the convenience of competing teams, two new changing rooms fitted with modern amenities will be incorporated in the main pavilion.

A foundation for the installation of the running track has been laid while improvement works on the drainage system is on course.

Following the ongoing renovations, National Super League side Shabana FC, who use the facility as their home ground, have been forced to shop for an alternative venue to host matches.