Thika Town Stadium set for upgrade
By Mathew.Ndungu, December 15, 2022Kiambu County government will in three weeks start renovating and upgrading the 5,000-capacity Thika Stadium after years of neglect.
Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi said that the first phase of the rehabilitation works will place the host town of Thika which has been touted to be a City, as a premier sporting and conferencing destination.
The move, Wamatangi insisted, will go a long way in promoting sporting activities in the county thereby putting Kiambu on the global map of sports besides helping the devolved government expand its revenue collection base.
While acknowledging that the stadium had been neglected for a long time, the Governor said the stadium will increase the residents’ access to modern sporting facilities required for quality sports talent development and exposure.
Historic stadium
The County boss said he has dispatched a team to assess and evaluate the needed support to upgrade the historic stadium to a modern-day facility that will not only create an additional revenue source but one that will also create direct and indirect employment opportunities for Kiambu youth.
He insisted that with his county enjoying a population of 2.418 million people as per the 2019 census, it deserves at least four stadiums built to the standards of the 16,000-capacity Kirigiti Stadium in Kiambu Town.
“With the population, we have in Kiambu County, we deserve at least four stadiums of the capacity of Kirigiti playground. We are working towards making Thika Municipal Stadium the next big thing to help us nurture talents and attract tourism from other counties,” said Wamatangi.
Thika Stadium has been in a dilapidated state over the years, a move that has been causing more harm to players especially when the rain pours over the poor drainage systems.
According to sports enthusiasts led by Samuel Ng’ang’a and Muriuki Giteere, a former coach, renovation of the stadium is one way towards talent development in the county that has produced notable football players and athletes.
Ng’ang’a said that most football teams have been struggling to grow their talents due to financial challenges and poor training facilities.
“Thika is a hub of talent but we don’t have quality training facilities. As we grow to become a city, Thika can produce the best of the best talents in the country and globally should we get the facilities motivation,” said Ng’ang’a.
Thika United FC, which used to be the face of the town on sports matters, was dissolved two years ago after two decades of existence when it featured in the Football Kenya Federation premier league.