By Phillip Orwa
After a decade of unfulfilled promise by president Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration to construct and rehabilitate the country’ s stadia, president William Ruto is walking the talk.
President Ruto is reversing the sad memories of the Kenya facilities after they were condemned and declared unfit to host international games
This forced Kenya’ s national team Harambee Stars to play international games outside the country .
But today , Kenya is hosting African event at the Kasarani and Nyayo stadium following massive rehabilitation and developments in the facilities.
Kasarani international stadium,
originally constructed in 1987; to host the All-Africa games that were taking place the same year.
The 60,000 capacity Kasarani Stadium, also known as Moi International Sports Centre, has undergone a tremendous uplift after the William Ruto Administration sunk in Sh6.7 billion.
Soipan Tuya, the cabinet Secretary in Charge of Defense, the Ministry overseeing the renovations in recent updates indicated that works at Kasarani have cost Sh6.7 billion; Sh3.1 billion in the first phase and Sh3.6 billion for the second phase.
Kenya, has been missing opportunities to stage important FIFA events, for instance, in 2021, CAF banned Kenya’s Nyayo and Kasarani stadium from hosting the FIFA 2022 World cup for failing to meet FIFA Standards.
“Reference to the inspection visit conducted by Caf, we regret to inform you that the stadium did not meet the set minimum Caf stadium requirements and consequently will not be approved for the qualifying matches of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 matchday five and six,” read a letter from Caf.
In 2017, at the height of Post election Violence, Kenya again failed to host the CAF matches due to poor state of our stadiums and the political temperatures in the country, and the countries failure to construct five stadia.
CAF inspectors had found that the five stadia that had been earmarked to host the competition were only 20 per cent ready, meaning it could have been impractical for the venues to handed over on the December 1 2017 to the organisers.
The Five Stadia included Kasarani, Nyayo Stadium, Kinoru Stadium in Meru, Kipchoge Keino in Eldoret, and Machakos Kenyatta Stadium.
Then CAF President Ahmad Ahmad said while in Accra Ghana “Kenyan Officials weren’t truthful,” when he read the decision in the presence of the then Football Kenya Federation Chairman Nick Mwendwa, the Sports permanent Secretary Kirimi Kaberia and then events director Herbert Mwachiro.
Immediately after the announcement, the then FKF President, Mwendwa posted on his X-twitter account “yes, we have lost CHAN, bad for Kenya. Now we have to continue to the journey, build new stadia, develop youth, coaches and work harder.”
Having lost many opportunities of holding International Events and placing Kenya in a world map of Sports tourism.
President Ruto came on board with a promise of ensuring infrastructure was improved, and this is why he placed his energy in not only refurbishing Kasarani, but also building an all new Talanta Sports Complex.
For this reason, Kasarani stadium was closed down for renovations since August 2023. The renovations were part of preparations for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) and the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Kenya will co-host.
The stadium was expected to be ready for testing matches in June, as part of the final preparations before the tournaments, and the good news is that it was tested, approved and handed over to CAF in readiness for CHAN which begins on Sunday 3rd with Kenya hosting DRC Congo in the first match.
Upgrades initiated when the Stadium was closed for renovation include installation of a canopy, flood light’s enhanced to 3,000 Lux, and the installation of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) cameras, and a Perimeter Advertising Board (PAB) all round the pitch, upgraded facilities like new media tribunes, enhanced broadcasting capabilities.
Kasarani now boasts media tribunes with desks, power supply, and high-speed internet, along with a press conference room equipped for broadcast.
The stadium has dedicated platforms for camera positions, TV and radio commentary positions, an OB van area, and a video operating room for VAR officials, all with enhanced connectivity and amenities.
Kasarani Annex and Kasarani Annex B, now used as training grounds, have also been renovated with improved changing rooms and playing surfaces.
The renovations also include tiling, painting, and clearing of debris, with the overall goal of bringing the stadium up to world-class standards.
The capacity of the stadium is 60,000, some of the improvements that have been done are installing regular seats that have a back rest but are not foldable, VIP seats that are foldable, VVIP that have cushioned auditorium, foldable seats but with cup holders and enough space in between to allow for undisturbed movement.
All five player changing rooms have more than 25 seats and lockers, a tactical board, more than five showers and washrooms, as well as charging points among others.
The facility has been acting as Harambee Stars’ training base for the tournament, which will take place from Saturday, 2 to Saturday, 30 August.
The initial tartan track that was destroyed during construction, an artificial turf has been installed to cover the running track for purposes of CHAN with a new tartan expected after the tournament.
Kenya, alongside neighbours Tanzania and Uganda, won the 2024 CHAN hosting rights, and with billions sunk into it, the facility is now complete and meets nearly all the requirements of the continental football governing body.
On July 10th while meeting Nairobi United, who won Mozzat Bet Cup, a week after winning the National Super League, President Ruto promised to build more stadiums.
And in readiness for the 2027 AFCON to be co hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, Kenya is building Talanta Stadium that is equally set to host 60, 000 capacity when complete along Ngong Road.
The Talanta Sports Complex is being positioned as a flagship facility ahead of the AFCON 2027 tournament; the stadia is scheduled for completion by late December 2025 according to President Wiliam Ruto.
This ultra-modern facility is envisioned to become Kenya’s national pride in sports infrastructure; the Stadia will have an advantage in terms of compliance with CAF and FIFA standards, since it will be equipped with a Smart technology for crowd control, digital ticketing, and eco-friendly design that are expected to enhance its appeal for international events beyond AFCON 2027.
Just like Kasarani, it is being designed with state-of-the-art features including a hybrid grass pitch, LED floodlighting, high-definition media facilities, and world-class hospitality suites.
The stadium’s location in the capital makes it easily accessible, and the surrounding infrastructure is also undergoing upgrades to handle high traffic during the tournament.
Other Stadia that are undergoing improvement include Kakamega’s Bhukungu, Kirigiti Stadium in Kiambu. Smaller Stadia like Kisumu’s Moi Stadium, Migori Stadium, Embu’s Moi stadium, Kipchoge Keino, Siaya’s Jaramogi Oginga Odinga are also being refurbished to international Standards by the Kenya Kwanza Administration.
