The refurbished Wang’uru International Stadium in Kirinyaga County is set to open its doors for use by the public in three months’ time.
This was revealed by Kirinyaga Deputy Governor, David Githanda, when he accompanied the Principal Secretary for Sports and Arts, Jonathan Mueke, on an inspection tour of the stadium.
Githanda said that the completion of the 15,000-seater stadium will bring immense benefits to the Kirinyaga people, especially the youth who will use it to nurture and develop their sports talent.
He noted that the stadium, which is about 99 per cent complete, would be ready to usher in players and fans after undergoing a few final touches that the inspection team, composed of Ministry of Sports officials, Sports Kenya officials, the contractor and Mwea Member of Parliament Mary Maingi, had recommended.
“We are looking forward to the opening of the stadium since it will be of great benefit to our people. The county has about 200 sports teams who compete from the ward level to the county level,” he noted.
He pointed out that the stadium came as a result of intense lobbying by Governor Anne Waiguru whose commitment to supporting sports talent in the county has been consistent over the years she has been in leadership.
The deputy governor also hailed the consideration to have a Sports Academy established at the stadium noting that it will go a long way in identification and nurturing of the local sports talent.
He said that engaging the youth in sports is a way of keeping them away from engaging in criminal activities borne out of idleness. He said the stadium will contribute to the county’s economic development through initiatives such as ‘Hustler Stalls’ that will host various demand-driven business ventures within the stadium. Other economic activities that will be brought about by the stadium include hospitality and camping.
PS Jonathan Mueke said that the world-class stadium would be hosting premium sports leagues as well as local leagues. It will also be used as a training ground for the national team Harambee Stars in preparation for international matches.
“We are happy with the way the stadium has come out and we will be handing over a quality and high-standard facility to the people of Kirinyaga. The community is very eager to have a world-class facility in the county,” said the P.S.
He said through the National Government-run Talanta Hela program, talent among the youth will be identified and harnessed with the aim of enabling them to generate money out of their talents, noting that a stadium forms the hardware of monetizing sports talent.
Mueke reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that all the regions in Kenya have adequate sporting infrastructure for use by young people.
Mwea Member of Parliament, Mary Maingi, said the stadium will not only help in promoting sports in the county but also contribute to the economy of the county and raise its GDP through various business opportunities brought about by a facility of such magnitude.
“This facility will be bringing together tens of thousands of people who will be spending money in our county, thus growing our county’s economy,” she added.
The stadium has a standard pitch, racetracks, and recreation facilities, changing rooms, VIP holding rooms, a VIP pavilion, and a police post among others.
By Irungu Mwangi
