Kenya has shifted its goal of co-hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to a higher notch with the construction of a new football-only stadium at the Jamhuri Sports Grounds in Nairobi.
A source at the Ministry of Sports who sought anonymity told People Daily Sport that the aging, 40-year-old Nyayo Stadium has been ruled out as one of the initial three match-day venues that were listed in Kenya’s AFCON bid.
Even though the works to improve Nyayo will continue as scheduled, there are some areas such as the changing rooms that cannot be amended to achieve desired standards of a Category 4 Stadium according to FIFA and CAF requirements.
The development at Nyayo is believed to have forced the government to start a new stadium project from scratch hence the birth of Talanta Stadium that will sit on 110 acres of land on Ngong’ Road, near the Jamhuri Show Ground.
Should the Talanta Stadium be done to fruition, it will be the first meaningful stadium project in Kenya since the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani Stadium 36 years ago.The total cost of the new stadium is yet to be established,although the design is out and ready for its actualization.
Cabinet Secretary for Sports Ababu Namwamba termed the move as historic as he handed over the construction site to the Ministry of Defence which will spearhead the project to completion.
“We are here to witness the start of another landmark, this is a landmark that is being done by Kenya, on our people and designed by our own people. We are very proud of this project that has taken time to be conceived. For sure this is a history day”, a jovial Ababu told People Daily Sport.
CS Ababu also noted that the Talanta Stadium is one of the key deliverables before the people of Kenya and Sports infrastructural development will no longer be done haphazardly but clear planning will be a key to see fulfilment of targets.
“We develop this new stadium as part of the Sports and Arts infrastructure master plan. In this this first year of the President William Ruto administration among the key deliverables that this ministry can put forth before the of Kenya is developing a comprehensive, concise and time-bound master plan, so that when we develop any stadia, it will no longer be unplanned, it no longer be what we have witnessed in the past where the country is dotted with so many white elephant projects.
The Ministry of Sports is optimistic that the construction of the Talanta Stadium will be complete in two years’ time from yesterday.
Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Defence Patrick Mariru promised to deliver the works in the set timelines or less, saying they have been tested before and that their ‘great’ works volume is louder.
“We have been invited as the Ministry of Defence to be part of this great process of the country as far as hosting the Africa Cup of Nations is concerned. We hold that this is a major national assignment that should suck the energy of everyone to support it. I would like to assure the public that we are set as the Ministry of Defence and we shall do this within the set time of less,” PS Mariru outlined.
The new stadium will definitely be a sigh of relief and will give a fresh air to the football community in the country beyond the AFCON bid, whether successful or not.
Confederations of African Football (CAF) is set to announce the 2027 AFCON hosts on September 27 and that announcement could determine the speed of the works and government commitment entirely in upgrading key sports infrastructure in the country.
Should the East African bid sail through, top CAF officials will set foot in the region again in 2025 to check the progress.
