Preparations have already begun for the 14th edition of the Mashujaa Day celebrations in Kericho County.

The upgrading of Kericho Green Stadium, which will host the event, is underway, with the government keen on increasing the facility's seating capacity to 10,000.

Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo says that the scope of the expansion will include construction of three more Steel Terraces within the open spaces to accommodate more people.

According to the PS, who also chairs the National Celebrations Steering Committee, each of the two areas adjoining the main pavilion will be fitted 1,000 more seats, and another 1,000 will be created within the terraces.

Omollo also said that the stadium will be supplied with essential utilities, particularly electricity, water and sewerage system.

Further, more infrastructural projects have been lined up in the county as one of the many benefits envisioned in hosting the national celebrations in the devolved units on a rotational basis.

Sections of roads within the town are set to be upgraded, key among them the 1.58km circumferential road around Kericho open-air market, the 1km K.I.E-Isaac Salat Road, the 1.5km Guru Nanak Temple-Mosque Road, the 1.7km Cemetery-Cereals-Siloam Road.

Functional street lights will also be erected within the entire municipality and along the highway.

According to Omollo, the military is in charge of the ongoing facelift, with area residents set to reap big from the government's policy on local content.

He stated that this year's celebrations will be anchored on Universal Health Care, which is one of the pillars against which the government has propped The Kenya Vision 2030 targets

"As is now the practice, we have themed all our national celebrations. And for the 2023 Mashujaa Day, our theme will be 'Access to Universal Health Care.'