The county government of Machakos has been urged to protect the Athi River based Mavoko Stadium from being grabbed by land grabbers.
This call was made by the Athi River deputy county commissioner, Kodeck Makori, who noted that leadership of the county government had been reluctant on the grabbing vice.
"I cannot keep on fighting for the protection of the Mavoko stadium which its pieces get grabbed each day as leadership of the county government remains silent about it," said Makori.
Makori said though Stadia management function had been devolved, he had for a long period of time working hard to protect Mavoko stadium, the only public stadium in the entire sub county.
He however lamented on what he referred to as suspicious reluctance among the county government's l;leadership on the increased grabbing of parts of the land, part of the stadium.
"My concern has been that Mavoko stadium is a public property, it is the only place where children of families from slums like Sofia, Jua Kali, Bondeni and Kisumu Ndogo, all within the outskirts of Athi River township can play as those from well off families get to better private playing and recreational grounds," said Makori.
Makori who addressed press in his office on Thursday, questioned the procedure of which a local road construction contractor was allocated part of the stadium's land.
He said it was wrong for the contractor to be allocated the land under whatever reasons and circumstances arguing it had seriously interfered with the stadium.
Makori said the contractor had no business to keep holding its equipment on the land which it has since fenced as a private company even after completing the Athi River roads on which it was working then, prompting the temporary allocation.
He said the contractor needs to move all its property and equipment from the stadium land so as to enable maximum usage of the public ground by the locals.