City Stadium is perfect inside but awful outside

By Gilbert Wandera

Nairobi City Stadium has undergone a major rehabilitation over the last 12 months.

The Stadium was picked as one of the 52 facilities in Africa to benefit from Fifa’s Win with Africa in Africa Initiative that seeks to lay an artificial turf in each of the African countries before the 2010 World Cup.

The project is aimed at promoting the sport in Africa and leaving the continent a better place after the 2010 World Cup, which is set to come to the continent for the first time. Since the turf was laid at City Stadium, it has a completely new look and has seen increased activity as more and more teams opt to either train or host their matches there.

Obiero revealed spacious and modern parking would be constructed when the stalls around the stadium are demolished.

"Those running the stalls have already been told they will be required to move when we are ready to construct the parking," he revealed.

Small businesses

Hundreds of small businessmen dealing mostly in shoes will be displaced when the parking is built. Apart from constructing parking spaces, Obiero said they will also build small halls to host indoor games as well as handball, volleyball and basketball pitches.

Obiero also admitted there has been a slight delay in implementing some of the things agreed upon with Fifa before the artificial turf was put up. In most cases, it has been a question of the procurement process taking long but we are doing our best to ensure that we are right on schedule," he said.

The Council is yet to renovate the dressing rooms and build the drainage, as well as increase the seating capacity.

Obiero revealed that in the next two months, the dressing rooms will be ready but he is not sure when the other areas will be worked on. This delay has not gone down well with Fifa, with the Development Officer in charge of the region, Ashford Mamelodi, urging the City Council to pull up their socks.

Mamelodi revealed during his visit last week that they had done their part and now it is up to the Council to complete what was agreed upon.

"We have finalised what we had promised to do. Sadly, some of the things like improved dressing rooms and increased seating capacity have not been done. The Council ought to do these things, otherwise the whole project will look like a waste," he said.

Mamelodi said he was disappointed by the delay in the implementation some of the works, especially considering that these were agreed on during their initial discussions and a contract to that effect was signed.

Safe environment

"We knew the Council had understood the vision we had of improving the facility since we want football to be played in a conducive and safe environment. We will continue to encourage them to do that," he said.

Regarding the handing-over of the facility, Mamelodi said Fifa President Sepp Blatter is expected to do that during one his various tours to South Africa but warned that the existing delays could scuttle the plans.

"We are hoping he can come and hand-over, but it will depend on whether what we want has been done. If nothing will have been done by June, then he cannot come. He would rather inaugurate those that are complete elsewhere," revealed Mamelodi.

He praised Tanzania and Uganda, where the government has ensured the facilities are in good conditions as agreed with Fifa.

Regarding ownership, Mamelodi said the facility remains the property of the council but football activities must be given priority.

"Ownership is an important issue and we understand most federations do not own such facilities so we insist on a partnership which ensures football activities have reasonable access to the facilities," revealed Mamelodi.