The building of sports stadiums worth Ksh6.17 billion has stalled, a new audit report shows.

The report by the Auditor General, Nancy Gathungu, said there is no value for money as the projects have remained incomplete for a long time. 

The stadiums in question include Kamariny (Elgeyo Marakwet), Kipchoge Keino, Karatu (Kiambu), Wote (Makueni), Ruring’u (Nyeri) and Kirubia (Tharaka Nithi). 

“The statement of financial position and Note 27 to the financial statements reflect a work in progress balance of Sh6,171,122,694. Review of projects implemented by Management revealed the following unsatisfactory matters,” reads the report. 

For instance, in the case of Kamariny, where a contract was awarded at a cost of Ksh287.8 million, the works had stalled since 2017, and the contractor disappeared despite being paid Ksh87.1 million or 30 per cent of the contract. 

The contract involved the construction of a 15,000-seater stadium complete with a standard football field, borehole and associated water storage facilities, electrical and mechanical works and eight-lane tracks with field events facilities. 

For Kipchoge Keino Stadium, which was being done in two phases, the report says, there is no value for money as the project had stalled. 

Shifting goalposts 

According to the report, on phase one, although a contract of Ksh304.2 million was awarded for the construction of a 15,000-seater stadium complete with a standard football field, a boundary wall with gates, a borehole and associated water storage facilities and car park area, physical verification of the project revealed that works had not been completed and the works had stopped as the contract termination process was underway to pave way for Afcon requirements. 

The move is despite the contract sum being revised upwards by an amount of Ksh65.49 million, increasing the contract sum to Ksh369.69 million on August 16. 

With regards to phase two where the management awarded a contract for construction of the stadium at a cost of Ksh325.82 million August 18, 2017, the report says despite the contractor being paid amounts totalling Ksh260.8 million or 80 per cent of the contract sum, the contractor had abandoned the site due to delayed payments and thus the project had stalled. 

According to the contract, the scope of works included the construction of a 5,000-seater pavilion, boundary wall with gates, a borehole and associated water storage facilities, lifts, a car park area, installation of a generator, and electrical and mechanical works. 

Reads the report: “In the circumstances, the value for money spent on the project could not be confirmed.” 

In the case of Karatu Stadium, which the management awarded a contract sum of Ksh259.6 million for the construction of a 1,500-seater pavilion, a standard football field, a borehole and associated water storage facilities, electrical and mechanical works and a 6-lane track with field events facilities, the report says that although the contract was to run for eight months and the contractor being paid Ksh217.1 million or 83.6 per cent various anomalies had been detected 

According to the report, the anomalies emanated from the 1,500-seat pavilion as it was yet to be completed although there were workers on site, poor workmanship done as the main bars had honeycombs could be seen on the columns, the ratios in the mixing of motor and gravel appeared not to be of the right standards making gravel to separate with the motor thus exposing the metal and weakening the strength of the beams. 

In addition, the perimeter wall had caved in and had not been repaired, the car park had not been done, and the borehole had also not yet been dug as at the time of the audit.  

According to the report, the value for money could not be confirmed. 

With regards to the construction of Wote stadium awarded at a contract sum of Sh299.3 million, the report says that physical verification done revealed that there was a change of site by the County Government of Makueni which led the contractor to incur additional costs which were not in the original bill of quantities due to the need to stabilise and compact the land. 

No feasibility 

In the initial contract, the scope of works included the construction of a 1,500-seater pavilion, 8 lane tracks with field events facilities, a standard football field, boundary wall with gates and a borehole with associated water storage facilities for a period of five months from January 5, 2017 to May 31, 2018 and an extension of time was granted revising the completion date to March 30, 2023 and Ksh196.48 million or 65 per cent was paid to the contractor. 

Further, it was noted that for the new site where the stadium is constructed, a feasibility study was not conducted before commencement of work; hence, the contractor has been facing challenges of compacting and levelling the land, especially on the western side where the VIP pavilion is. 

In addition, apart from the project being incomplete, some variations were done without approval, like, for instance, the drainage. 

Reads the report: “In addition, it was established that incidents of theft of site materials were witnessed and therefore affecting work progress and mechanical and electrical works were subcontracted by Sports Kenya and not by the main contractor.  In the circumstances, the value for money incurred on the project could not be confirmed.” 

In the case of Ruring’u Stadium, where the management entered into a contract for the construction of Ruring’u Stadium in Nyeri County at a contract sum of Ksh288 million in January 2017 with an expected completion date of August 5, 2017, physical verification revealed that the Project was not complete, and the contractor was not on site seven years since commencement. 

This is despite the contract sum being revised to Ksh358.2 million, which was an increase of 24.4 per cent. 

“According to the financial records, an amount of Sh302,082,728 had been paid to the contractor. In the circumstances, the propriety of the expenditure and value for money could not be confirmed,” reads the report. 

With regards to the construction of Kirubia Stadium, although the report says that records provided for audit indicated that the project had been completed with a total amount of Ksh274.2 million being paid physical verification carried out in March 2024 identified some anomalies that management had not provided any information on progress done to rectify them. 

Further, management had not provided ownership documents of the land on which the stadium is constructed. 

Reads the report: “In the circumstances, the value for money realised from the expenditure of Ksh274,208,855 could not be confirmed.