Elgeyo marakwet: The hosting of Mashujaa Day celebrations at Kamariny Stadium in Elgeyo Marakwet will be a major boost to athletes, who despite excelling on the global stage, have had nowhere to train from since the stadium is still incomplete.
According to Kenya News Agency, while athletes globally come to train in the county, upcoming athletes have been the most affected, as Kipchoge Keino Stadium in neighboring Uasin Gishu County is also among those still undergoing construction. This has severely affected the training of upcoming athletes, a situation stakeholders have expressed concerns that it may affect the country's place in global athletics. However, the situation is set to improve with the hosting of this year's Mashujaa Day celebrations in the county on October 20th.
The government has assured residents of Elgeyo Marakwet County that the ongoing construction of the stadium in Iten will be completed in time to host the national celebrations. Speaking during a stakeholders' meeting at the stadium, Sports Kenya Director General Timothy Kilimo said the contractor is already on site and construction works are progressing as planned.
'We have firm instructions that we should hand over the stadium for the purpose of hosting Mashujaa Day by October 5. Today, we met with all stakeholders to start preparations and also to confirm that the contractor is on site and work is progressing well. We are at almost 20 percent now and we are very confident that the contractor will deliver before time,' said Kilimo.
He noted that the facility will be a major boost to the athletics community in Iten, which is globally renowned for producing world-class athletes. Kilimo added that the government is investing heavily in sports infrastructure across the country, with nearly 38 stadium projects currently underway.
'As a country, we are moving towards building more and more facilities. We are building almost 38 stadia across the country. Some will be completed by the end of this year, others by mid-next year, and the rest by the end of 2027,' he said. He revealed that several key stadium projects, including Kamariny and Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, are progressing well and are expected to be completed within the planned timelines.
The DG further said the government's vision is to commercialize sports by providing talent development opportunities, infrastructure, and support systems that will enable athletes and sports professionals to earn a living from their talents. 'The vision of president Dr. William Ruto is that we want to commercialize sports, provide talent opportunities, infrastructure and even the software to ensure that sports pay and becomes part and parcel of all of us,' he said.
He also challenged sports fans to support local football clubs instead of focusing solely on international teams. 'Instead of only watching and enjoying Manchester United, Arsenal, and Manchester City, we can also start supporting local teams. We have a number of clubs playing in the leagues within Elgeyo Marakwet, and they deserve our support,' he added.
Kilimo stated that Sports Kenya will work closely with the county government to address drainage challenges around the facility to ensure the stadium meets the required international standards. He expressed confidence that the country is witnessing unprecedented growth in sports infrastructure, which will create more opportunities for athletes and promote sports development across Kenya.