Maralal: The national government is set to construct the first ever state of the art stadium in Samburu County in a bid to nurture sporting talent for local youths. Speaking during the ground breaking ceremony in Maralal town, Defence Cabinet Secretary (CS) Soipan Tuya said that the government is keen on improving sporting infrastructure across the country.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Defence Ministry is supporting the Ministry of Sports to construct 33 stadiums across the country, some of which are nearing completion. “As East Africa prepares to host AFCON next year, we are confident that Kenya is fully prepared with all the critical infrastructure nearing completion like the Talanta stadium and the refurbishment of Nyayo and Kasarani stadium,” she said.
The CS stated that once completed, the Maralal stadium will have a ten thousand seating capacity, a standard eight-lane athletic track, a modern football pitch, standard changing rooms, VIP pavilion, and flood lights for night games. “The stadium will be a multipurpose hub and will host cultural events and national holidays, and it will be sustainable with shops and offices to let for revenue collection to maintain the stadium and job creation,” the CS noted.
Tuya emphasized that the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) will play a central role in the project by providing supervision, quality control, and ensuring efficient project execution within set deadlines. The CS further mentioned that local youths and women will be employed as laborers to spur economic empowerment, while local businesses will be given first priority to supply construction materials.
She highlighted that apart from the stadium, the government has ongoing projects such as the construction of Maralal-Morijo road, Kisima-Suraduruu road, Baragoi airstrip, and the construction of Yamo dam treatment plant. “This shows that the government has made deliberate efforts to ensure equity and fairness in all counties,” she said.
The CS expressed concerns that insecurity hinders development and urged residents to work closely with security agencies to end banditry in northern Kenya. “The President is determined to end insecurity and banditry in northern Kenya, there are a few challenges but we have a moment to talk about development and join the rest of Kenya in building hospitals, schools, and other development projects,” she said.
On his part, Samburu governor Lati Lelelit expressed gratitude to the national government for fully funding the construction, indicating that most of the county government budget allocation goes to operation costs. Lelelit announced that the county government will invest Sh100 million to construct the new stadium’s drainage system, which has not been included in the construction budget.
The ground breaking ceremony was also attended by Laikipia north MP Sarah Korere, former woman representative Maison Leshoomo, and MCAs.
