Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja is keen to elevate the two sporting facilities to international standards after years of neglect.
The oldest arena in Kenya, City Stadium is set for a new face after Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja officially kicked off its construction on Thursday.
The facility, which will be known as Joe Kadenge Stadium, in honour of AFC Leopards legend the late Joe Kadenge, will have a sitting capacity of 10,000, a FIFA standard pitch, and a sandwich running track.
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According to the stadium’s artist’s impression, there will also be floodlights to enable matches to be played at night, dressing rooms, a fitness centre, cafeteria, offices, a car park of up to 100 cars among others.
“This stadium must be the way it is on the map. This is going to be the best stadium and it must be FIFA-compliant. From the seats, exit, and changing room, let’s do something international,” Sakaja said after the stadium’s groundbreaking ceremony.
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Work at the sporting facility had stalled, but it resumed after the governor's intervention.
The governor has given the contractor up to 16 months to complete the works after which he hopes to officially open the stadium.
“We are doing a groundbreaking symbolically then hand over the site to the contractor to do the job. As we have said, it is one year and six months and I will come here in December next year to open it,” added Sakaja.
Constructed in the early 1960s, City Stadium is the oldest sporting facility in Nairobi and hosted a number of events before Kasarani and Nyayo Stadiums were put up in the 80s.
It was the home venue for Gor Mahia for a number of years until 2015 when the Kenya Premier League condemned it as unfit to host matches.
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The facility has been in a dilapidated state since with former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko unsuccessfully trying to give it a new face.
Meanwhile, Sakaja also commissioned the construction of Woodley Stadium while he promised to give Hamza grounds a new face so that it is able to host matches in future.