NAIROBI, Kenya, November 21- The City Council of Nairobi has set aside Sh100m for the rehabilitation of City Stadium and other public grounds within the capital.
While making the announcement, Nairobi Town Clerk, Philip Kisia said during the finals of the Orange Mabingwa Under-13 tournament the Pumwani Grounds that serve Majengo, California and Pumwani estates is among the beneficiaries of the project.
“The contractor will be going to the site anytime now, before moving to other facilities with the aim of bringing the stadium and other local pitches to standards that can be used for competitive grassroots tournaments,” he noted.
During the tournament, Baba Dogo Primary School retained the Orange Mabingwa Boys Title after beating Muthurwa Primary School 1-0 in a tense match played at the City Stadium.
The girls’ Mabingwa title went to the Toi Primary School who New Pumwani in the finals.
The Town Clerk also unveiled plans to partner with Orange and other corporate organisations, as the council embarks on hosting sporting competitions within the city as a way of keeping the youth from drugs and mischief.
Telkom Kenya’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Angela Nganga- Mumo welcomed the move by the council to rehabilitate sporting facilities, saying it will go a long way in raising overall sporting standards in the city.
She also announced plans to take the Orange Mabingwa Tournament across the country in the coming years.
“The last two years have been good for learning on our part. Having noted the significant impact that the tournament has had on football standards in the Under-13 category within Nairobi, we now want to take it beyond the city to afford children in other areas a similar platform through which they can exploit their talent and sharpen their skills”, she explained.
She challenged the newly appointed Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to come up with structures to ensure that the talent that is identified during the primary school level is nurtured into the secondary schools.
FKF’s Vice Chairman Sam Shollei who was present disclosed they would announce their plans for grassroots football in January.
He added the new administration would continue to work with the Kenyan Premier League with a view to raising football standards in Kenya.
