President William Ruto has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to upgrade various sporting facilities ahead of the 2027 Africa cup of nations to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
‘we are implementing a sports and creative industry development infrastructure master plan which is devoted to providing state of the art competitions and training facilities and comfortably host and facilitate world class international competitions. It will also provide high class training facilities to our sportsmen’’,President Ruto said.
The Head of state made the remarks while officiating the ground breaking of the Talanta Sports City Stadium at the Jamhuri Showground, one of the three host venues earmarked for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
‘Evidently, AFCON 2027 is just the beginning of our nation’s endeavor to becoming a regional continental and global centre for sports development and competition, to get there we are committed to strategically invest and upgrade various facilities’’.
President William Ruto revealed that renovation at the Moi international sports center Kasarani will be completed by the end of the year while Bukhungu and Kipchoge will be ready by next year.
‘We have already imagined what should be done in the rest of the country. I am happy to report that Kasarani Stadium is 30 percent complete as part of afcon 2027 preparations, and by December this year we will be inviting you your Excellency to come and launch it officially. We are also refurbishing Bukhungu stadum which we have designated as the host for CHAN, Kanduyi as well as Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret’, Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba remarked.
The Head of state also said the government is committed to facilitate Sportsmen and women in a bid to nurture upcoming talents.
The Talanta Sports City Stadium is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
‘It’s a tech savvy facility designed for top level tv broadcast,VAR, goalline technology. we are imagining beyond 2027 and we are planning to have professional management of this facility which will turn it into an economic hub’’, Ababu said.
Meanwhile Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja says the county government has set a side Ksh800m to refurbish City Stadium.Sakaja said the facility will be renamed to Joe Kadenge Stadium in honor of one of Kenya’s most celebrated footballer of 1960’s and 1970’s.
‘’We are revamping Joe Kadenge Stadium ad also doing Woodley stadium.we are going to have a statue of Joe Kadenge erected outside the stadium. We ask the national government to boost our KSH.800m budget to atleast Ksh.1B’’,Sakaja said.
Report by Dan Mwendwa and Kingori Mwangi
