Machakos Deputy Governor Engineer Francis Maliti has assured the public of the County government’s commitment in overseeing the completion of three key sports stadia within Machakos.
While addressing residents of Masii area in Mwala Sub County Wednesday, Maliti also dispelled fears that the county government had abandoned the construction of Masii, Ikombe and Kinyui stadia and cited heavy rains and the current Covid-19 pandemic as the main cause for the delay in their construction.
“It is true works at the Masii, Ikombe and Kinyui stadia have stalled for some time now, but this scenario was not expected. The rehabilitation works were halted due to heavy rains that pounded the country early this year forcing the contractor to halt construction works. The situation has further been aggravated by the current Covid-19 pandemic which has virtually paralyzed almost everything in this country. We are nevertheless confident that the works will resume once things normalize and that the sporting facilities will soon be ready for use,” he said.
Masii, Ikombe and Kinyui stadia are situated in Mwala, Yatta and Matungulu sub counties respectively.
The county government had set aside a total of Sh110 million in its 2019/2020 budget for the upgrading of Masii, Ikombe, Athi River and Kinyui stadia to international standards.
By improving these facilities, the county government of Machakos hopes to continue playing host to national and international sporting events.
Currently the only sports facility that has been upgraded to international standards in the county is Kenyatta Stadium located within Machakos township.
The stadium can hold up to 20,000 spectators and has often played host to both national and international sporting show events.
By Samuel Maina
