Talanta Stadium: How Government Beat Hasty Retreat on Highly-Criticised ‘Bakuli’ Seats

Early this month, the government was forced to abandon its move to install fixed, non-foldable seats at Talanta Stadium.

The state had been widely criticised by Kenyans for opting for low budget seats that do not fit the status of the ultra-modern 60,000-seater facility that is nearing completion in Nairobi’s Jamhuri.

Instead of the sleek, foldable seats that maximises spectator comfort and modern aesthetics, used in modern stadiums across the world, Kenyans were not happy when bright yellow and green fixed, non-foldable plastic bucket seats were installed instead.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Google News, Stay informed with Latest Sport News

That led to wide criticism on social media, forcing the government into a hasty retreat as it decided to remove the much-maligned seats and procured new ones that will meet international standards.

Experts and critics of the ‘bakuli’ seats argued that they collect more dirt, wear and tear quickly and significantly reduce the legroom available to fans.

Pulse Sports understands that the government was forced into a U-turn following a high-level tour of the facility that left a lot to be desired when it came to the choice of seats. Just before the decision to remove them, President William Ruto had visited the stadium, later hitting out at his critics for doubting when he said he could complete the stadium.

It is believed this significant visit played a key role in the move to quickly change the seats added to the fact that officials from Confederation of African Football (CAF) were just about to tour Kenya to inspect key facilities set to be used for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Foldable seats are what FIFA and CAF advocate for and were installed at Kasarani and Nyayo Stadiums after renovations last year ahead of the 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN 2024).

Kenyans are now looking forward to seeing high quality seats which fit the high standards of the state-of-the-art facility given the near Ksh45 billion the government is set to splash on the stadium.