State sets aside Ksh 750M to build 10 constituency sports academies

The government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage, is set to kick off the construction of ten sports academies in constituencies that have been identified across the country.

Speaking before the National Assembly Committee on Sports, Culture and Tourism on Wednesday, Sports Cabinet Secretary Ambassador Amina Mohammed revealed that Ksh. 750 million had already been set aside for the realization of the academies project.

“The money is available. All we are waiting for is the details. The expectation is that by end of November we should have started and we should finish by end of June next year. Our team has just returned from the constituencies and we expect them to give us full report,” CS Amina said.

The Sports CS went on to state that the ten academies set to benefit are among seventeen that have been identified in the first phase. The 17 constituencies set to benefit are Igembe Central, Lagdera, Mwingi West, Voi, Mavoko, Narok South, Lurambi, Webuye, Luanda, Marakwet West, Isiolo South, Ainamoi, Tinderet, Alego Usonga, Kieni Ndaragwa and Nyaribari Chache.

The money to be used in the construction of the academies is part of the Sports, Arts, and Social Development Fund that has so far collected Ksh.30.3 billion since its inception in the financial year 2018/2019.

The money has so far been used to construct Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu County at Ksh. 415 million; Wang’uru Stadium in Kirinyaga County at Ksh. 310 million; Posta Jamhuri Sports Ground in Nairobi County at Ksh. 609 million, which is 98% complete; and Kirigiti Stadium in Kiambu County, which is 80% complete, at Ksh. 596 million.

“What we wanted to prove with the construction of these stadias within a record time is to show that we don’t need 4 years to construct them as has been the norm, and that with the technologies and commitment it can be done within 6 to 7 months,” added CS Amina on the aggressive approach on completing the construction of the stadia

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Additional reporting by Citizen Digital.