NAIROBI, June 23 – The Government will build an IRB standard Rugby Stadium in Nairobi that will be up by 2017, Sports Kenya Board chairman, Fred Muteti announced on Tuesday.
The Stadium is among the three allocated Sh1.8bn by Treasury in the recent budget for construction of ultramodern Stadia in Nairobi, Mombasa and Eldoret but Muteti maintained the funds was meant to kick-start the projects as opposed to covering total costs of the facilities as read by Finance CS Henry Rotich.
“We have allocated land along Ngong Road where we will build an international Rugby Stadium that can accommodate a tennis court and football pitch. We want to make Ngong Road a sports leisure zone.
“This board was able to go for a bench marking tour last month in preparation to the building of digital stadiums; we toured Europe where we were able to see how stadiums are build and managed. When we do the Jubilee stadiums, we want to involve all the stake holders including private sector, so what the Government has given us is seed money,” Muteti declared.
With Ngong Road’s RFUEA Grounds the only standard Rugby pitch in the country, the completion of the multi-purpose rugby stadium will come at the right time since the game is developing rapidly.
The first Stadium to be constructed will be in Mombasa where Muteti said Sports Kenya has injected Sh50m with the County Government topping up equal amount for the proposed facility that will include an Olympics standard swimming pool in Shimo La Tewa.
“We want to build a stadium that is secured, profitable and sustainable. We want to apply all the regulations and guidelines of FIFA, IAAF and World Rugby equipments in constructing the stadia.
“In Mombasa, we want to do an international stadium that will have a track, pitch and indoor games arena that can host international competitions. We want to make Mombasa an entertaining and sports city because it will include a leisure park,” the chairman who was appointed in April by President Uhuru Kenyatta outlined.
Eldoret will be up next with the Board planning to partner with Moi University to construct a high altitude training facility that will not only be used to host international events, but also serve the neighboring Uasin Gishu County.
“We want to build an Athletics center of excellence within the stadium that will also have a national museum, an indoor arena and standard football pitch,” he stated.
Sports Kenya has also partnered with discipline forces in seven Counties to speedy the project.
“We have partnered with Kenya Army in Lanet where the Stadium that we will build will cater for Counties around Nakuru while in Central we have identified Kenya Police’s Kiganjo Training School,” the Sports Kenya boss added.
Muteti who chairs the Committee that includes former Kenya Rugby Union chairman, Mwangi Muthee, Football Kenya Federation Leagues and Competitions chairperson, Doris Petra, Ibrahim Hussein and Isaac Musembi said they will be getting major funds from loans they intend to borrow from international banks.
The Committee is set to unveil the design of the Stadiums in a fortnight.