S. OchiengNamwamba orders audit on recently constructed stadiums after visiting substandard Kinor
Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 03.12.22. | 10:30
The Sports Cabinet Secretary promised to improve the current sporting infrastructures in the country.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has issued a directive to have an audit conducted on all recently built stadiums in the country to ascertain whether the amount invested in the sporting complexes reflect the reality on the ground.
The former Budalangi Member of Parliament issued the order after his Friday inspection visit to the Kinoru Stadium in Meru ended in disappointment as he was left in disbelief by the quality of the infrastructure which gobbled over 900 million shillings.
CS @AbabuNamwamba this afternoon made an inspection tour of Kinoru Stadium in Meru County. He expressed his disappointment at the quality of work done on the stadium which has cost the government over 900 million shillings. pic.twitter.com/IvLCyDcwEc
— Ministry Of Youth Affairs, Sports & The Arts (@moscakenya) December 2, 2022
"I have made a ministerial directive to conduct an audit on all stadiums built recently to ascertain their standards vis a vis the amounts spent.
This stadium cost the taxpayers close to a billion shillings. When I look around, I do not see a billion shillings. We must demand value for taxpayers' money," Ababu said.
"The state of this stadium is not reflective of the amounts the government has spent on its construction. Our standards as government are way higher and the people of Meru deserved better standards than this," he added.
In Meru today to inspect the state of Kinoru Stadium. Disappointed it falls way below international standards and not worth the almost Shs 1 billion spent. Forensic value-for-money audit of all new stadia is imperative. Kenya cannot host FIFA/CAF events without quality facilities pic.twitter.com/Gz9Os8OO2R
— Hon Ababu-Namwamba, EGH🇰🇪 (@AbabuNamwamba) December 2, 2022
Currently, Kenya have no internationally certified stadia as the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani and the Nyayo National Stadium - the only two grounds to have previously been passed fit - were stripped off their status after checks done in 2021.
Owing to the current situation, the Cabinet Secretary promised to spearhead the process of ensuring sporting infrastructures that meet the desired international quality.
"I leave Kinoru with disappointments, but I leave knowing that we have a monumental task to raise the stadium to the standards we want.
Meru residents and Kenyans at large should be assured that we are going to raise this stadium to international standards," he said.
Having officially taken over the sports fraternity from Ambassador Amina Mohammed slightly over a month ago, Namwamba has had a busy schedule to contend with in his early days in office.
The lawyer has already helped Kenya end its football suspension from FIFA and has also led talks that helped Kenya evade a potential ban from World Athletics following the spiraling cases of doping.
