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Four years after commencement of construction of  Sh260 million Karatu Stadium in Gatundu South, Kiambu County, the project that was set for completion last year is now a grazing field.

The multi-million-shilling stadia with a sitting capacity of 4,000 whose construction began in 2017 has completely stalled and is now a popular destination for local goat and cow herders.

Most of the machinery used in the construction works have started to rot with vegetation taking colonising unused ballast and stones with no security guard manning the incomplete perimeter wall that has already started to collapse.

Aggrieved by the state  of the project, Gatundu residents recently protested at the demanding answers from Smith and Gold Productions Limited, the main contractor as per the banner erected outside the field.

Workers unpaid

Karatu Stadium is one of the many stadiums that the Jubilee government promised to put up after assuming power  in 2017 and it was set for completion in August 2020.

The contractor has also been accused of refusing to remit payment to casual workers building the stadium.

A group of youths from the village who were employed as casuals said that while they were optimistic of seeing a magnificent stadium in their locality, the contractor betrayed their wishes and even left without paying their dues.

“I was the sole breadwinner in my family since my husband was ill and later died as I was waiting to be paid to clear his hospital bills,” Margaret Njeri who worked at the site as a casual worker said.

Damaris Wangui was also  forced to close down a food joint she had opened and which was the feeding point of all workers at the site.

“I used to offer food to the workers on credit and I have lost close to Sh160,000 which I was owed by workers,” she said.

The locals now want President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and compel the contractor to finish the project.

Kipchoge Keino in Uasin Gishu County, Kamariny in Elgeyo Marakwet, Wote in Makueni, Ruringu(Nyeri), Kinoru (Meru), Marsabit and Chuka (Tharaka Nithi) are the other stadiums the Jubilee government  promised to upgrade.