Kenya: Stadia facelift main hurdle to bids

By GISHINGA NJOROGE

If the building of at least one of five ultra modern stadiums promised by the Government starts soon, it will be a most visible sign that sports is headed for a transformation.

There can be no doubt that development that has kicked off elsewhere has alerted an expectant sporting fraternity that things could be looking up pretty soon.

In his New Year goodwill message, President Uhuru Kenyatta said, for example, that the Government was aiming at pumping billions of shillings in energy generation which would see the cost of electricity reduce by half.

He further assured Kenyans that they would have access to improved education, clean water and health services adding that the introduction of free maternity services last year had moved the country closer to achieving Millennium Development Goal Number 5, on improving maternal health.

He probably did not have to revisit the grandest of all projects — the new standard gauge rail system Lamu Port Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET), dualling of the Mombasa -Nairobi-Nakuru Highway and the Terminal Two at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Practical purposes

For all practical purposes, those were in motion well before the close of the year.

While there may still be some debate as to whether delightful performance  by Kenyan sportsmen and women have changed the attitude of the nation’s political leaders towards sport, there can be no doubt that they have altered this somewhat in Uhuru Kenyatta’s short stint.

But people will want to see his Government’s funded schemes to sophisticate Kenya sport fast-tracked.

There will be, for example, an Olympic Games in barely two and a half year’s time, to coincide with his penultimate year of his first time.

Staying on the ball to make sure that Kenyan Olympians well in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 ought to be President Uhuru’s Government’s responsibility.

There can be no dithering about the Jubilee Government’s policy towards sport. And just like, on a regular basis, the exciting news of development pushes coming from the presidency, people will be welcoming updates on planned sports projects; about the full implementation of the Sports Act, appointment of Sports Kenya boss, the launching of the Sports Lottery.

Ground breaking ceremony

These are subjects of which to have answers on the finger tips for the Secretary of Communications and Presidential Spokesperson, Republic of Kenya, Manoah Esipisu.

For starters, when is the ground breaking ceremony for the first of five stadiums promised in Kisumu, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret and Garissa would be a good question to answer, for Signor Esipisu, as soon as possible in his weekly briefs from the State House podium.

Can there be, by the way, a considered change of allocation of these stadiums? One of the best performers in Kenyan sport in recent past is Rugby Sevens.

Now among the best on the field and most ambitious in development, Kenya rugby want to place themselves up there with the best in the word.

The Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) is making a bid to be included in the International Rugby Board (IRB) World Series for Sevens Rugby the 2015/2016 season.

When the IRB inspectors make their first visit to the country in March, they will be looking at refurbishment work already done at the Safaricom Stadium, Kasarani nd guarantees that more will happen before Kenya can be considered, later in the year, for inclusion in the IRB World Series.

In the long run, the KRU dream is to have a purpose-built rugby stadium in Nairobi.

The Jubilee manifesto promises to upgrade existing sports facilities to accommodate among others, swimming, tennis, basketball and rugby.

Detailed architectural plans are in place for a proposed home of Kenya rugby and hopes are that one of the five stadia projects of the Government could be designated to rugby.

But the KRU are making an early move to go world class, and — with the support of Safaricom — first sprucing up the facilities at the Moi International Sports Centre will be a good dress rehearsal of their attempt at hosting a world class event.

A high powered delegation from Safaricom visited the recent Rugby Sevens World Series round of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

They now know exactly how the facilities at Moi International Sports Centre and organisational capacity in the country ought to look like if the IRB will agree to make the annual Safaricom Sevens international event in Kenya part of the World Series.