Nairobi — Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has ordered a halt to construction works at Ruring'u Stadium in Nyeri due to what he describes as 'sub-standard' job by the contractor.
Namwamba said he was shocked to find that not much was going on at the 20,000-seater facility when he made an impromptu visit on Tuesday.
"Yesterday, I attended the Cabinet meeting in Sagana and afterwards, the president told me 'I want you to go to Ruring'u Stadium and afterwards to Othaya Stadium to see its state'. Immediately after the meeting, I drove to Ruring'u and what I saw in that place is really criminal and even told the characters working there to please stop. The standard of work is below zero," the CS said.
Namwamba further narrated that the situation was the same at the Othaya Stadium.
"What I saw actually, was an empty field with mounds of soil. It is a few distance away from where we have laid the third president of this country, Mwai Kibaki," he recounted.
Kenya has bid to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with its East African neighbours, Uganda and Tanzania.
However, the dilapidated state of its stadia means that the success of the bid is hanging by a thread considering the calibre of other countries who are hoping to host the same continental showpiece, including Algeria, Egypt, and Botswana.
The country has had two opportunities to host continental championships, including the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996 and the Championships of Africa Nations (CHAN) in 2018.
Unfortunately, on both occasions, the dour state of the country's stadia proved to be its Achilles heel as the continental governing body, Caf, eventually awarded the hosting rights to South Africa (1996) and Morocco (2018).
Reflecting on these past pains, the CS admitted that Kenyans are skeptical about the country's bid for Afcon 2027 as well as the government's plans to rehabilitate the country's stadia.
"We know that Kenyans are very skeptical, and it is because of a history of disappointments. They are so skeptical that if you tell them that Kenya will be ready to host Afcon 2027, many of them will tell you 'come on, go tell that to the birds'. We are determined to change things and do them differently...we are determined to host the Afcon," he said.
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The stadia that Kenya has earmarked to stage matches for the continental competition include Nyayo National Stadium, Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani and the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret.
Last month, Caf inspectors were in the country to inspect the three venues along with the Kasarani Annex and Ulinzi Sports Complex in Langata.
