Nairobi — Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya has announced that the national government will assume renovation of the Mombasa Stadium.

Mvurya says renovation works on the 15,000-seater stadium will commence immediately after a comprehensive technical review.

"Upon formal handover and receipt of the project's current fiscal status, the technical team will conduct a detailed review of the remaining scope of works to guide completion in line with the government's approved designs and standards," the CS said.

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Mvurya exuded confidence that, once completed, the stadium will position Mombasa for sports tourism.

"As directed by H.E. William Ruto, the FIFA-standard facility, will serve as a strategic low-altitude sports hub, positioning the Mombasa and the Coast region as a centre for sports tourism while providing a world-class alternative venue for hosting major national and international competitions," he said.

The latest announcement will resurrect hopes for the completion of the facility whose progress has stalled over the years for a variety of factors.

In 2013, it underwent a minor facelit -- estimated at Ksh 230 million -- to enable it host the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup.

It was thereafter shut down in 2016 for more upgrades, but the works made little headway, prompting a cry from sports stakeholders in the region.

Then Mombasa governor Hassan Joho announced a Ksh 1.2 billion upgrade in 2018, construction officially commencing a year later.

However, by 2021, works on the facility had stalled before being revived in 2023 ahead of the African Nations Championships (CHAN), which Kenya co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

The facility was also mooted as one of the possible venues for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) but the idea was shelved in favour of constructing an entirely new stadium -- the Talanta City Sports Stadium.