How Nyandarua’s poor stadium is ruining prospects

By JAMES MUNYEKI

The youth in Nyandarua County have had the challenge securing a better training facility after the national government turned down building a stadium for the region.

This forced many of them to travel hundreds of kilometers to Nyahururu town, which is a high altitude area, for training, espeacially in track and field.

There problem worsened when the Nyayururu facility was taken over by Laikipia County, denying them access to the stadium.

The only available training ground is now the Ol-Kalou stadium. Though the stadium is located on a ten acre piece of land at the heart of the town, it lays in ruins after years of neglect. There are no essential facilities that would attract any  sportsman to train there.

The stadium has no running track. There is no dias, leave alone a changing room.

And that is not all, there are no sanitation facilities. Water is not connected to the stadium as the town, the headquarters of Nyandarua County, is not connected to any piped water services.

The playing ground has been neglected and not graded, making it hard for sportsmen to train there. Most athletes have fear of insecurity to train there because it is adjacent to the forest without a perimetre fence. This poses danger to those training.

“Most of us prefer Nyahururu stadium as there is adequate security and better services including a running track. I would rather travel there than risk my life training early in the morning here,” said Johanah Mureithi, an young athlete.

But according to Nyandarua Governor Daniel Waithaka, plans are underway to build an ultra modern stadium on the site. Already, a Chinese investor has offered to fund the project and work is expected to start soon.       — munyekijames@gmail.com