Millions spent, little progress: The shame of Kenya's stalled stadiums

Kenyans’ hopes of having state-of-the-art stadiums across the country may not be realised, despite the allocation and expenditure of millions of shillings.

A recent 2022/2023 audit by the Auditor General on Sports Kenya questioned the allocation of Sh4.2 billion for stadium development, noting that most of the projects had stalled, with contractors abandoning the sites. According to the audit, the statement of financial position showed a work-in-progress balance of Sh4,259,127,880.

The report showed that the expenditure of Sh81,590,104 on the Kamariny Stadium project in Elgeyo Marakwet County could not be verified, despite being paid to a contractor. The stadium’s contract, awarded on September 6, 2016, was for Sh287,837,775 and included the construction of a 15,000-seat pavilion, a standard football pitch, a borehole and water storage, electrical and mechanical works, and an eight-lane track with field event facilities.

A physical verification of the project on March 5, 2024, revealed that only 30 per cent of the works had been completed. The project had stalled since 2017, and the contractor was not present on site.

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At Kipchoge Keino Stadium, Sh326,816,952 had been paid for Phase I of the project. The contract sum was increased by Sh65,493,560 to Sh369,697,973 on August 16, 2016, with an expected completion date of January 30, 2023. However, a physical verification on March 5, 2024, showed that Phase I had not been completed, and work had stopped, with the contract termination process underway. The value for money from the Sh326,816,952 spent could not be confirmed. While Phase I remains incomplete, Phase II of Kipchoge Keino was awarded at a cost of Sh325,829,431 on August 18, 2017. Sh249,931,685 had been paid for Phase II. The scope of work included the construction of a 5,000-seat pavilion, a boundary wall, a borehole and water storage, lifts, a car park, generator installation, and electrical and mechanical works. The expected completion date was January 30, 2023. However, a physical verification on March 5, 2024, showed that the contractor had abandoned the site due to delayed payments, and the project had stalled. The value for money from the Sh249,931,685 spent could not be confirmed.

At Karatu Stadium, the contractor was paid Sh149,426,345, but the construction, which was supposed to cost Sh259,604,780, had stalled. The scope of work included a 1,500-seat pavilion, a standard football pitch, a borehole and water storage, electrical and mechanical works, and a six-lane track with field event facilities, with a contract period of eight months, starting on September 16, 2016. A physical verification on March 7, 2024, revealed that the pavilion was incomplete, though work was progressing. However, the pavilion’s construction had poor workmanship, the perimeter wall had collapsed and was unrepaired.

At Wote Stadium, Sh178,712,430 had been paid to a contractor for a project initially scheduled to complete by May 31, 2017. However, the completion date was later revised to March 30, 2023. The audit revealed that the site had been changed by the County Government of Makueni, leading to additional costs to stabilise and compact the land.

In Tharaka Nithi County, Kirubia Stadium was completed but had yet to be commissioned. The tartan laid on the running track had developed numerous cracks and potholes, rendering it unusable. The track had only six lanes instead of the eight lanes required by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and the Bill of Quantities. The grass on the football pitch was removed because it was of poor quality, and wrong variety and was replaced with Kikuyu grass, which had overgrown and dried.