KDF to take over renovation of Nyayo, Kasarani stadiums
The current state of the football pitch at Nyayo Stadium as seen in this photo taken on September 17, 2023.
What you need to know:
- The move by the government is quite significant noting that the countries that will host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be announced on September 27 this year
- Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Youth Affairs and the Arts, Ababu Namwamba will hand over the construction of a new stadium, Talanta Sports City at the Jamhuri Sports Complex along Ngong Road, Nairobi, at 9am
- The handover of the Kip Keino Stadium will take place at 2pm as Namwamba warned that the stadia will in future be allocated for sports activities only
In what could transform the sports facilities in the country, the government is set to hand over the construction and renovation of four stadia to the Kenya Defence Forces on Tuesday.
The move by the government is quite significant noting that the countries that will host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be announced on September 27 this year.
Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Youth Affairs and the Arts, Ababu Namwamba will hand over the construction of a new stadium, Talanta Sports City at the Jamhuri Sports Complex along Ngong Road, Nairobi, at 9am.
Namwamba will then move to the Nyayo National Stadium and Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani to handover for renovations at 11am and 12 noon respectively.
The handover of the Kip Keino Stadium will take place at 2pm as Namwamba warned that the stadia will in future be allocated for sports activities only.
Kenya is bidding to co-host the championship with Uganda, and Tanzania while there are individual bids from Algeria, Botswana and Egypt.
Namwamba, who was speaking during the live Nation Television (NTV) 7pm Swahili news “Hatma Ya Michezo Nchini” show hosted by Frederick Muitiriri on Monday, is confident that their bid will get the nod.
KDF constructed the 10,000-seater Ulinzi Sports Complex at Lang'ata Barracks within a record time. Former President Uhuru Kenyatta presided over the groundbreaking in October 2020 before officially opening the arena on April 13, 2022.
Namwamba said that he has instructed Sports Kenya that manage sports stadia in the country not to allow any function that is not sports at the stadium.
“The ministry was not informed of the religious crusade that left the Nyayo National Stadium playing surface that is undergoing renovation, destroyed,” said Namwamba.
The crusade, dubbed ‘Holy Ghost Fire Conference’ took place on Tuesday and Wednesday last week with the key speaker being South African-born American evangelist Rodney Morgan Howard-Browne.
There was an uproar from Kenyans, who castigated Sports Kenya for allowing the crusade that came shortly after the venue that had been closed for a month had been reopened for Kakamega Homeboyz' CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round clash against Al Hilal Benghazi of Libya on August 27.
The Nyayo National Stadium is one of the venues earmarked for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations’ hosting joint bid between Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
