The county government of Nandi in its Kapsabet Municipality Integrated Development Plan (IDeP) proposed a plan to turn the incomplete Kipchoge Keino Stadium into a bus stop and a marketplace.
The development plan involved a comprehensive blueprint meant to guide the expansion of the county’s CBD to the realisation of social and economic transformation.
The plan suggests moving the stadium to a new location, the Nandi showground, and beginning construction of a new track.
Kipchoge Keino Stadium was closed five years ago for renovation but remained stalled after the completion of the VIP pavilion.
Meanwhile, the national government’s promise of pumping Ksh200 million into the project is yet to materialize.
“If it’s taken this long to renovate the current stadium, how can we trust them to construct a new one at the showground in a reasonable timeframe? ” a source disclosed to TV47.
Residents and sports enthusiasts at large termed the move as a damage to the reputation of the county as “the home of champions.”
Additionally, critics argued that political interference halted the stadium’s development, jeopardizing opportunities for local athletes.
“Politics and sports cannot marry. The location of the stadium is key. Moving it out of town will only make things harder for athletes and fans,” they mentioned.
Kipchoge Keino stadium is among the stadia promised to the CAF by the national government in the Pamoja AFCON 2024 bid.
