The ministry of sports is set to deploy a team to conduct an audit of all the recently constructed sporting facilities in the country in order to determine whether the money allocated for the facilities was put to good use.
Speaking Friday while he visited Kinoru stadium in Meru County, Sports, Culture and the Arts Cabinet Secretary, Ababu Namwamba, said most of the facilities, Kinoru included, were substandard and cannot host any international sporting activity.
“As a cabinet Secretary I have done a decision in line with the government’s policy of value for money and I will deploy a team of valuers to value the work done to determine whether indeed the work done is worth Sh915 Million that have been spent here in Kinoru,” Namwamba said.
He also said that in future, he will be taking a keen interest in every bill of quantities prepared for any sporting facility and every element up to completion of the project to ensure that there was value for money used.
The CS said the country had intentions of bidding for the Africa cup of nations 2027 together with the neighbouring Uganda and Tanzania and this could only be successful if the sporting facilities in the country were up to standard.
“If we are going to bring African football to the country, then we have to ensure that our facilities meet the standards of CAF and FIFA,” Namwamba said.
He expressed his disappointment at the quality of the finish of the work at Kinoru stadium, especially the tartan tracks used which are already damaged, as well as the grass in the playing field.
“It is very clear that the pitch is not a FIFA standard one and CAF would not sanction any football to be played on this surface, where even the grass is not of the required type, with a manual irrigation system which you have to struggle to operate,” Namwamba said.
He added: “We will see how we can improve the condition of this stadium alongside others so that if we are bidding for international games football or otherwise, then we are confident that any inspection by CAF or by FIFA will find our facilities capable of hosting such high level sporting events.”
“I will leave here disappointed but with a determination that we have a very huge task in our hands to raise the standards of our sporting facilities to the required international standards.
We have to do things better and I am promising the people of Meru and Kenya at large that we will definitely achieve this,” Namwamba said.
By Dickson Mwiti
