Nairobi — Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, the heart of the "City of Champions," was a forgotten and neglected space for many years. What should have been a cradle for elite athletics had been reduced to a grazing field and a place where residents dried maize.
In a region globally known for producing world-class long-distance runners, the absence of a functional facility forced athletes to travel several kilometres to Iten for training.
The ongoing rehabilitation of the stadium is not only restoring infrastructure but also quietly reshaping social and economic relations on the ground, bringing together workers from different regions, backgrounds and political leanings under one roof of construction activity.
Alvin Juma, a foreman from Bungoma, is among those working on site, overseeing carpentry, masonry, surveying and plumbing teams.
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"I can say we should leave politics and focus on development because when we mix the two, the country goes backwards. I am grateful here in Eldoret; the residents welcomed me with a very open heart. I employed about fifty locals and more joined later as the workforce increased," Alvin says.
He adds that inclusion has been key to progress on site. "Tribalism also kills development in a country. If I was thinking about tribe, being a Luhya from Western, I would not have come to Rift Valley to work. But I came because of my profession and I got an opportunity. If I had been denied that chance, I would have suffered. Here, I have benefited," he says.
The project falls under Kenya's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which prioritises job creation, talent development and sports infrastructure as drivers of economic growth, particularly for young people.
The rehabilitation of Kipchoge Keino Stadium was initiated by the Ministry of Sports to position it as one of the designated training grounds for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Works include converting earth terraces into concrete grandstands, increasing capacity from 9,248 to 15,671 seats, adding a VIP stand, installing a canopy roof and upgrading the pitch with a tartan athletics track. The overall works progress currently stands at 37 per cent.
Once complete, the facility is expected to support youth livelihoods, strengthen the sports economy in Eldoret and restore the stadium's status in a region often called the City of Champions.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), organised by the Confederation of African Football, will be held from June 19 to July 18, 2027.
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