Government to build world class stadium within 5 months in Embu county

Dr Raymond Omollo together with other government officials in Embu county on Tuesday

The government has promised to complete the construction of a new ultra-modern stadium in Embu County in a record five months in readiness for this year’s Madaraka Day celebrations.

The Njukiri ground that has been hosting the annual ASK agricultural shows will be remodeled into a 20,000-seat arena at an accelerated schedule.

According to Interior Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo, the facility will feature various amenities that will constitute a world-class stadium set to be delivered well in time for the ceremony in June and will form the main operation infrastructure towards the achievement of a sports city in Embu County.

“We are constructing a stadium from scratch in four and half months. The stadium will be a big milestone for Embu county in readiness for the celebrations and host to other future events,” he said during a needs assessment tour at the site.

Dr. Omollo, who chairs the National Celebrations Steering Committee, also divulged that the project will be co-funded by the two levels of government, with a technical team already working out the cost implications of the construction works.

The PS further noted that the team is consulting with other stakeholders, key among them the Agricultural Society of Kenya, which has been managing the showground, with a view to unlocking any bottlenecks that may constrain execution of the project.
He was flanked by a host of other Principal Secretaries, Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire, and legislators from the area.

The leaders expressed their delight at the potential utility of the sports city as a boon to the county and region.

Governor Mbarire noted that the stadium in particular will foreground the prospect that Embu County is one of the most attractive investment destinations in the area, a feat that was envisioned through the government's policy of taking the national celebrations to the counties on a rotational basis.

A week ago,Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba expressed his disgruntlement over the awful state of Moi Stadium Embu, after visiting the facility Wednesday mid-morning.

According to Ababu, nothing reflects the Sh.180 million spent on the construction of the Stadium by the Embu County Government, describing what he saw as absolute shame.

“Saying that Sh. 180 million has been spent where we stand now is criminal. Those who were involved should be in jail, because I don’t see that amount of money here. We have said we must start handling our stadiums in a different way." he said

The project to facelift Embu Stadium started during retired Governor Martin Nyaga Wambora’s administration, which is claimed to have spent Sh.180 million on the venture