Ex-Kenyan International Ambani calls for an end to substandard stadium construction
Former Kenyan international footballer Boniface Ambani has voiced his concerns over the construction of substandard stadiums in the country, urging counties and the government to stop building "cowsheds" in the name of sports facilities.
Ambani's statement comes in the wake of the recently opened Homabay Stadium in Homabay, which reportedly cost Kshs 369 million.
Stadium quality
The issue of stadium-quality has been a subject of debate in Kenya, with venues like Moi Kasarani and Nyayo Stadium being banned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) due to their failure to meet stadium requirements.
A stadium like Bukhungu Stadium, which has been under construction for five years, still has incomplete sections. 
Another point of contention is the prevalence of athletics tracks in most stadiums, leaving no dedicated pitches for football and rugby.
In his statement, Ambani expresses disappointment in the lowering of standards and the lack of accountability from those in power.
"We have lowered our standards so much especially in sports sections, in that when people build mediocre stadiums we will clap and praise them, when we are given handouts, we still clap and praise and we defend them by all means. When you vote them in, they lie to you we shall do this and that, and when they get to those policy making positions, they sleep on their jobs, and wait for elections to come and once more lie to you," Ambani said in a statement.
He emphasizes the importance of holding leaders accountable for delivering on their promises and providing quality infrastructure for sports. Ambani also calls on Kenyan citizens to demand the best services since they pay taxes for them and deserve nothing less than top-notch facilities.
"We don't like asking them hard questions. Sportsmen and women are always treated like they belong to the last thinking line of our leaders, even at club level.
"Exposure is very very important in this life. 90% of Kenyans will be wowed by very minor things, and they'll go on to praise things that shouldn't. It's your right as a Kenyan citizen to demand the best services, why? You pay taxes for the same.
"You are taxed fully, and you deserve the best, not anything half-baked. I saw you clap for a makeshift ground in Embu, only for the next day after the ceremony, for it to be exposed for substandard work done, I am seeing all of you clapping for something somewhere in Homabay oblivious of the amount spent on it," he added.
CAF Stadiums?
Ambani raises concerns about the nation's ambitions to host prestigious events such as the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the African Nations Championship (CHAN). He believes that with the current state of stadiums, Kenya is far from being ready to host such major tournaments, likening the situation to searching for the Titanic wreckage in the Atlantic Ocean. 
"We are bidding for AFCON, CHAN, etc. With such kind of make shifts.. really? , we shouldn't waste our energies because we are nowhere, anywhere close to hosting such an event. We are completely so many light years away.
"With the current Status, it's like a Kenyan going to look for the Titanic wreckage somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. Stop pampering your leaders. Tell them the truth. Truth hurts, but that's it.
" Nyanza, South Nyanza and western counties are the bedrock of soccer in this nation. I actually don't expect makeshifts of stadiums to be built in these zones...Stop building cowsheds in this nation. " he concluded.
