Bien faults gov't over Sh45.8bn Talanta Stadium, wants athletes prioritized

Musician Bien-Aimé Baraza has questioned the government's spending priorities over the construction of Talanta Stadium, arguing that billions spent on the facility could have been used to support struggling Kenyan athletes and improve local sports.
Speaking during an interview on Monday, November 2, Bien said his criticism was not directed at the construction of the stadium but the amount of money spent on the project.
“The problem is not the asset itself. The problem is the inflated price at which it was made. Like that money could have been used differently,” he said.
The singer argued that the government should prioritise paying footballers' allowances and improving the local football league instead of committing huge sums to sports infrastructure.
“This is a misplaced priority thing. It's not that we don't want Talanta Stadium. We want our footballers to be paid their allowances, we want our football league to work,” he said.
Bien also cited the case of Kenyan skater Kevin Kiarie, whom he said missed an opportunity to represent the country in an international competition due to inadequate financial and institutional support.
“There is a skater who was supposed to represent the country in a global competition, and he consistently wins whenever he competes. However, he did not receive the support he needed to participate,” Bien said.
He further questioned the government's expenditure on bringing international football clubs to Kenya, particularly German giants Bayern Munich, arguing that such spending should take a back seat to investment in local sporting talent.
“So how do we keep misappropriating our funds and spending billions bringing Bayern here? I feel like there is a disconnect,” he added.
The musician acknowledged that Talanta Stadium would remain a national asset beyond President William Ruto's administration and could be used to host concerts and other public events.
However, he questioned whether these long-term benefits justified the cost of construction.
“Once Ruto is out of office, that stadium will be used by Kenyans. We will do concerts and other things there, but at what cost?” he posed.
Bien's remarks come amid public scrutiny over the stadium's construction budget, which has reportedly risen from an initial Sh35 billion to approximately Sh45.8 billion.
The government has attributed the additional expenditure to taxes and other unavoidable costs incurred during the project's implementation.
The 60,000-seater facility, officially named Raila Amolo Odinga International Stadium, is being constructed at Jamhuri Sports Complex in Nairobi ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Kenya will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania.