Governor Sakaja gives positive update on Dandora Stadium

© Johnson Sakaja.

FOOTBALL: Governor Sakaja gives positive update on Dandora Stadium

Kiplagat Sang 07:00 - 11.07.2023

Work at the sporting facility had stalled, but it resumed after the governor's intervention.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has promised that Dandora Satdium will soon be completed and be ready for use.

The facility has been under construction for years, and work at the site had stalled but the county chief has now made a promise that it will be ready for use soon.

"Inspected the status of work at the Dandora Stadium, which we will soon be opening. This is a project that we managed to revive after it had stalled for a few years. Our youth and the teams from the area will soon have their home back," Sakaja said when he visited the stadium.

The construction at the Eastlands Sports Facility had stalled, but it resumed following Sakaja's intervention. Earlier, Brian Mulama, the Nairobi County Executive Committee member for talent, skills development, and care, under which sports falls,had said that the construction resumed after the county and the contractor had finalized talks over the resumption of construction.

The county official had promised in February that the stadium would be ready in around two months.

"As the Governor (Sakaja) had promised, we have agreed with the same contractor who was working on the stadium, and the contractor is already on site. This stadium will be completed within the next 45 days. The same contractor has also been tasked with building the four other county stadiums in Nairobi that had earlier been planned for construction," Mulama said then.

"Sport is a key sector, and the county government will ensure that we develop the right infrastructure for our youth to develop their talents and skills in sports, which is a multi-billion industry globally."

The works at Dandora Stadium were halted in 2019 when former Governor Mike Sonko’s administration was accused of making Ksh196.9 million in irregular payments to the contractor and an irregular change of the contract name. However, in 2021, the Senate Labour and Social Welfare Committee ordered the resumption of work at the stadium. Coincidentally, the committee was chaired by Sakaja when he was a Senator.

When it is complete, teams, perhaps after clearance by the Football Kenya Federation, can host Premier League and lower division matches at the stadium.

Tags: