
A view of Kipchoge Stadium in Kapsabet town, Nandi County in this photo taken on May 28, 2020.
Kenya’s legendary athlete, Kipchoge Keino, has expressed his disappointed over the planned demolition of the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Kapsabet, Nandi County to pave way for an ultra-modern market.
Nandi County government intends to replace the historic Kipchoge Keino Stadium with a Sh420 million ultra-modern market—a move that has shocked not only the 1968 Olympics 1,500 metres gold medallist, but also retired and elite athletes as well as the locals.
The decision has not gone down well with the athletics fraternity, who argue that demolishing the stadium, which has been closed since 2016 for renovation, will worsen the country’s shortage of sporting facilities.
Nandi County Government has already handed over to the contractor and urged residents prepare for the development of an ultra-modern market, which will be completed by June 2026.
According to a motion adopted by the Nandi County Assembly, following the Kapsabet Municipality Masterplan, the market, which is currently located in Eldoret’s CBD, will be relocated to the 8.7 acres currently occupied by Kipchoge Keino Stadium.
In an interview with Nation Sport, Keino expressed his dismay.
“This is pushing back the development of sports facilities in the region because converting such a facility to a market is not good for the sports. It will discourage upcoming athletes. We call ourselves the home of champions and this will take us many steps back in the sporting fraternity,” he said yesterday.
The stadium is named after Keino, 83, who is a two-time Olympics champion.
In addition to the market, there are plans to build a new Sh1.5 billion stadium on approximately 25 acres of land at the Agricultural Show of Kenya (ASK) grounds. Last week, Nandi County Deputy Governor Yulitah Mitei said the move would benefit the region by eventually providing a larger stadium for sports.
“We want to thank the County Assembly for the changes because we shall have a bigger stadium that will take 25 acres and that means we shall have many sporting events accommodated in one place. Once completed, the stadium will be a game-changer for sports development in Nandi County. It will feature well-designed seating and spectator areas, a high-quality central pitch for various sports, a state-of-the-art gym, a swimming pool, an athletes' village, and advanced security and safety infrastructure, among other facilities,” she said.
Nandi County Governor Stephen Sang also defended the move.
“The space we currently have is not enough for a stadium and when we move the facility to the ASK grounds which is 25 acres, we shall have enough space that will accommodate the indoor arena and enough parking area for the vehicles. Currently we don’t even have a parking area and that was the decision that informed us to move the stadium to a new place.”
The historic stadium has been a cradle for champions such as Amos Biwott—who won gold in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games—and Mike Boit, the 800m bronze medalist at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.
Other legends include Julius Sang (gold in the 4×400m relay, 1972), Julius Korir (gold in the 3,000m steeplechase, 1984), Patrick Sang (silver in the 3,000m steeplechase, 1992), and former 800m Africa record holder Sammy Kosgei.