Kitui county to get Sh800M stadium ahead of Mashujaa Day

Kitui County is set to get a 10,000-seater stadium ahead of this year’s Mashujaa Day national celebrations that will be hosted in the county on October 20.

Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Salim Mvurya, announced on Wednesday.

Mvurya spoke when he conducted a preliminary inspection tour of Kitui Agricultural Show and Trade Fair Ithookwe Showgrounds, where the celebrations will be held.

="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001504911/state-to-unveil-142-heroes-during-mashujaa-day-celebrations">Addressing the< media while in the company of Governor Julius Malombe, Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi and County Commissioner Kipchumba Ruto, the cabinet secretary directed that the showgrounds be upgraded into a world-class stadium.

He said that the national government, through the Ministry of Sports, will fund the construction of the stadium to the tune of Sh800 million, and revealed that the tendering process will start next week.

“Following the assessment, I have directed that the showgrounds be upgraded to a 10,000-seater capacity stadium. The upgraded facility will host this year’s Mashujaa Day Celebrations, a milestone expected to deliver significant economic benefits to the people of Kitui and the surrounding region,” Mvurya said.

="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001424395/state-suspends-parallel-county-mashujaa-day-celebrations">To deliver the project,< Mvurya’s ministry will work closely with the county department of Culture, Gender, Youth, ICT, Sports and Social Services.

While expressing admiration for the choice of location of the stadium, CS Mvurya promised to expedite the construction process and ensure that the contractor hands over the facility in good time before this year’s Mashujaa Day.

"Many stadiums in Kenya are built on rugged terrain, making their design very challenging, but Kitui is blessed with such good land. This is a perfect choice for the world-class stadium,” he stated.

Governor Malombe commended President William Ruto for selecting the county to host the national celebrations, adding that he was positioning the county strategically to attract more national government projects for the betterment of the county residents.

“Having such a world-class facility in our county is an honour and it places Kitui on the national and international map,” the governor said.  

="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/coast/article/2001504936/ruto-arrives-in-coast-to-lead-mashujaa-day-celebrations">Malombe pointed< out that state of a art facility will not only serve as a hub for nurturing local sports talent but also as a catalyst for economic growth, youth empowerment and social integration.

Some of the notable facilities that will be featured in the stadium include a VIP pavilion, fully equipped FIFA-standard offices, an athletics track and a standard football pitch.

The acting Director General of Sports Kenya, Gabriel Komora, also accompanied the CS on the tour.