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Kakamega county government in partnership with the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Arts and Sports is facing a tight timeline to deliver Bukhungu Stadium for the 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN) scheduled for September.

Governor Fernandes Barasa says they are in agreement with the contractor to accelerate the works to ensure that they meet the deadline for completion of works at the famous football arena.

The initial plan was to see Bukhungu elevated to 40,000-seater stadium but now the contractor is working towards a 25,000-capacity venue for CHAN and further developments will be done later after the competition.

“We on schedule to deliver this stadium to be ready to host CHAN 2024. We have partnered with the National Government basically to ensure that we deliver the final product on time. We have already agreed with the contractor that he is going to come up with a plan to accelerate the process, as you are aware, CHAN is being co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and for Kenya this (Bukhungu) will be the principal venue,” Barasa said.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba early this month announced that the government had pumped over Sh 800m for the renovations of the stadium.

The projected facelift on Bukhungu Stadium will see a new playing surface that is in sync with the Confederations of African Football (CAF) standards, with a superb drainage system.

The Southern stand is expected to be the new VIP area and is being done to accommodate 10,000 spectators. Floodlights are also part of the renovation plan to allow night football for CHAN and beyond. Another mega amendment on the football infrastructure is the construction of new changing rooms with the aim of raising Bukhungo to Category Four Stadium according to CAF requirements.

“The stadium is being redone, CAF insisted that we need to have a pitch that has a good drainage system, we are also looking at the floodlights because we expect some matches to be played here at night. We also have other civil works going on across the pitch since eventually by June or July we shall be having a roof erected. We are also on schedule to complete the other C section for purposes of making sure that for CHAN we attain the 25,000-seater capacity.”