One of our recommendations could be to further require all Members of Parliament to set aside funds from their annual Constituency Development Fund to construct community sports development centres
As we stand on the cusp of a new era, there’s much to celebrate with the renewed energy in sports infrastructure development across the country. The strides being made are commendable, and we are grateful for the focus on revitalizing these facilities.
However, amid this jubilation, a pressing issue needs addressing, particularly with the current stadium-building frenzy. While substantial resources are being allocated to constructing new stadiums nationwide, we must pause and ask ourselves: Why are we doing this and who will use these stadiums a decade from now?
Unfortunately, in the rush to build grand stadiums, little attention is being given to creating sustainable structures and systems for talent development. Counties are competing to construct extravagant, and often subpar, stadiums without investing in the proper nurturing of talent across various sports disciplines.
THE LIES THEREIN
Even as we are bombarded with rhetoric like, "We're building stadiums to support talent development," the reality on the ground tells a different story. In many cases, these county-built stadiums contribute minimally to developing talent or engaging youth. For example, in my home county of Bungoma, over 800 million shillings has been poured into Masinde Muliro stadium Kanduyi, yet the high daily rate fees will make it inaccessible even for local top league teams like Nzoia Sugar FC. How do we expect a youth team to raise 25,000 daily hire fees for such facilities. Instead, these stadia are left for national celebrations, crusades, church functions or occasional top league matches, sidelining the broader sporting community especially the Youth.
Moreover, it’s disheartening to see multimillion-shilling structures surrounding what look like farmlands, masquerading as world-class playing arena. These so-called stadiums, mostly glorifying VIP boxes for politicians with sorry, uneven playing surfaces, lack even the most basic requirements—zero drainage systems, no floodlights and absolutely no capacity to host any CAF matches. We continue to dress up substandard facilities as international venues while ignoring the glaring shortcomings that make them unsuitable for any real competitive events.
In regions like Western and Nyanza, heavy rains often result in matches being cancelled due to soaked fields as a result of non-existent drainage options, with games typically rescheduled for the following morning or a later date.
With rains across the season in western and Nyanza for example , it is possible to have best world class lawns and playing surfaces accompanying the rising megastructures
ULINZI STADIUM: A Model for Kenya’s Sports Infrastructure
Constructed at a cost of one billion shillings, Ulinzi Stadium stands as an exemplary model that should be replicated across the country. The stadium boasts a well-designed seating arrangement that spans the entire arena and includes top-notch facilities such as an indoor gym, Worldclass VIP and VVIP Area, comfortable changing rooms, media centre, an international-standard handball court, a swimming pool, and various training fields surrounding the complex. It showcases what a comprehensive sports facility can look like and sets a high standard for future stadiums in Kenya.
KANDUYI STADIUM
Back in my home county of Bungoma, Masinde Muliro Stadium in Kanduyi initially received a hefty County allocation of 700 million shillings, followed by even more generous multimillion funding from the national government hurriedly disbursed for the sake of hosting the National Madaraka Day celebrations. Yet, despite these hefty investments, the stadium remains stuck in phase one, a far cry from completion that recently called for a presidential inspection.
NO STEEPLECHASE PROVISION
With the towering presence of Mount Elgon just a stone's throw away and the region renowned for its athletic prowess, it’s astonishing that Masinde Muliro Stadium lacks steeplechase provision. It’s as if the very spirit of the mountains, which fuels our athletes, has been overlooked in the design of our own sports facilities.
A stadium with a playing surface so poorly setup that any proffessional outfit would think twice before stepping onto it. A recent match pitting AFC Leopards vs Nzoia Sugar played during the Madaraka Day celebrations (pictured above) almost aborted due to heavy rains and a soaked pitch. A high-stakes match degraded to a village encounter played on what looked like a swamp. It’s no surprise our players continue to struggle with knee injuries sustained on such substandard pitches.
THE SQUANDER THEREIN
When we talk about squander of public resources, we have seen many stadia being renovated more than they have hosted matches in the past decade. Take Nyayo Stadium and Kasarani, for instance. These facilities seem to be designed for constant upgrades rather than regular use for sports, no wonder Kenya’s Harambee Stars is forced to play their home matches away from home. It's a national embarrassment.
Bukhungu Stadium, one of the finest in the western region, is also undergoing further renovations. I can almost predict with confidence that Kanduyi Stadium's playing surface will soon face another round of repairs, despite millions already being spent to install murram and plant grass.
To prevent the overuse of stadiums, all major facilities across the country should invest in dedicated training fields located next to the main stadiums. This would provide young talent with greater access to well-maintained fields, offering more opportunities to nurture their skills while preserving the primary venues for major events.
WHAT ABOUT OTHER SPORTS
Moreover, Kenya’s sports landscape is more than just athletics and soccer. What provisions have been made for other sports? Who is championing their development? As we continue with this stadium frenzy, we must ensure fairness and inclusivity, offering long-term solutions that cater to a diverse range of sports and empower the next generation.
Take, for instance, our national women’s volleyball team, African queens who keep begging for access to proper indoor facilities like the Kasarani arena. Despite their commendable efforts, after every international assignment—such as the recent Olympics—Kenyans are quick to judge and criticize the girls. This harsh judgement overlooks the fact that our own inadequate systems have played a significant role in their disappointing performance. A team that spends the entire season training outdoors only to compete indoors. What a disheartening situation.
Across the counties, the absence of indoor spaces hinders the growth of sports such as basketball, volleyball, handball, badminton, and table tennis. A solution is within reach: indoor gymnasiums, which are easier to maintain, more accessible, and capable of nurturing talent across multiple disciplines. But the question is , which county has set up an indoor gym??
As we celebrate the opening of new stadiums, let us not lose sight of the need for sustainable investments that truly foster the potential of our youth.
SETUP POLICIES THAT COULD REQUIRE CDF FUND TO SUPPORT SPORTS
As Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna introduces the Sports Amendment Bill, there is hope that new policies will be enacted to promote community sports development. The bill aims to mandate County Governments to allocate funds to support the activities of registered County Sports Associations.
One of our recommendations could be to further require all Members of Parliament to set aside funds from their annual CDF (Constituency Development Fund) to construct community sports development centers.
We've already seen MPs invest in multi-million shilling infrastructure projects for schools, so it's clear that similar investments can be made to enhance sports facilities through this channel.
PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
1. Build accessible indoor facilities at strategic centres of excellence in regions like Western, Mombasa, Nyanza, and Nairobi etc.
2. Develop policies that ensure these national and county facilities are accessible to young athletes and community teams.
3. Invest in at least four community training fields i.e. volleyball , basketball and tennis courts in primary schools at the ward level.
4. Construct Dandora stadium kind of Model stadia that are easy to manage and setup in communities
5. Construct compact murram running tracks and adjacent soccer, volleyball/basketball courts around all newly built stadiums. This model will unlock talent from grassroots levels, ensuring that no region or sport is left behind.
6. Institute policies at the national assembly that will Compel Local Members of Parliament through their CDF Kitty to set aside funds to support the development of community fields.
This article is written by Dennis Machio for Michezo Afrika. Machio is a former Premier League player who represented Nzoia Sugar FC.