The Nyayo National Stadium.[Photo/KBC]
The government is hopeful that Nyayo National Stadium’s renovations will be complete in March and the venue ready for use by the first week of April after construction resumed in January.
The stadium was closed for renovations in readiness for the 2018 African Nations Championship but immediately the country lost the hosting rights to the event works stalled.
However, sports principal secretary Kirimi Kaberia, after inspecting the construction works in and around the football arena at Nyayo said that there was a loss of momentum after losing the CHAN hosting right but that also gave way for a detailed project.
“We are no longer under the same pressure as we did for CHAN and the delay occasioned by the political period is over so, all the works should go on as scheduled. I expect the contractor to hand me the keys to a ready-to-use arena by the end of March.
The parking lot area and the outer drainages and water system will be complete in three weeks time,” said Kaberia adding that after losing CHAN hosting rights, the government decided to have a more detailed face-lift of the stadium that will include a new drainage system.
A spot check by People Sport, however, reveals that the timelines seem far-fetched considering the works began in August and should have been done in December but unsatisfactory progress has been achieved.
Heaps of soil and construction materials are lying in the parking area and excavators are still digging the surface expected to be ready in three weeks time, with no sign of drainage works ongoing. Chief contractor Chan Dresh is however confident that he will work in collaboration with the subcontractors to deliver within the specified time.