Officials from Sports Kenya have visited the General Kassam playfield in Kianyaga, Gichugu Constituency, to assess its status before the government commences the process of upgrading the facility.
The technical team will prepare a detailed report, identify potential designs, and get financial estimates for the upgrade.
Sports Kenya’s Deputy Director for Technical Services, Gabriel Komora, who led the team, said that the team had come to collect accurate data on the facility.
He was accompanied by Kirinyaga County Deputy Governor David Githanda and officials from the county Department of Sports, Culture, and Social Services.
“We came to conduct a preliminary assessment of the facility to get an accurate picture of the space available, see what can fit in the field, and know all the requirements we will need to transform it into a facility that is up to the required standards,” Komora said.
The visit comes after President William Ruto agreed to Governor Anne Waiguru’s request for the national government to help the county government upgrade the field into a modern stadium during the commissioning of the Gichugu Affordable Housing project in Kianyaga.
The county government will allocate Sh100 million to kick-start the works, while the national government will complete the stadium.
Once completed, it will host more local, regional, and national sporting events and, at the same time, generate revenue and expand business activities in the area.
Deputy Governor Githanda said that the visit by the technical team shows the president’s commitment to fulfil his promise to the people, expressing optimism that the construction work would start soon.
“Residents are excited as this stadium will provide a venue for local sports matches as well as a well-equipped place for high-altitude training, “observed the Deputy Governor.
General Kassam Stadium will be the second sporting facility to receive such an upgrade in Kirinyaga County after Wang’uru Stadium, which is waiting for the official commissioning and handing over to the county government and for use by members of the public.
By Mutai Kipngetich
