Mr Herbert Tawa Mwachiro, Deputy CEO and Event Director Chan 2018, addresses the press after a team from Athletics Kenya toured Kipchoge Stadium in Eldoret yesterday.The Stadium is likely to host African Nations Championship early next year. Looking on is Uasin Gishu County Sports officer Eunice Kerich (right). 21.02.2017. PHOTOS BY PETER OCHIENG/STANDARD.

The possibility that Eldoret’s Kipchoge Keino Stadium would host certain fixtures during the 2018 Africa Nations Championships (CHAN) remains a pipe dream.

The move comes after Confederation of African Football (CAF) officials showed dissatisfaction with it when they visited the facility yesterday.

The officials, who are inspecting the facilities in the country ahead of the continental fiesta set for January 11- February 2 next year, raised a number of queries on the standards of the stadium and the readiness to host the showpiece.

The team comprised CAF Event Director Mohamed Shawbury, Information and Technology Director Tarek El Deeb, Services Deputy Director Magdaldin Abdelrazak, Marketing Consultant Soukayan Lecheeb and CHAN 2018 LOC director Herbert Mwachiro.

They questioned whether the ICT infrastructure had been factored in the budget, inadequate number of changing and referees rooms, entry points and many other issues.

They said the stadium should have at least four changing rooms for players, two for referees and ICT infrastructure which is key among other facilities.

Uasin Gishu County Sports chief officer Eunice Kerich said the ICT infrastructure had not been factored in the first phase which caters for renovation of the terraces and changing rooms as well as the pavilion.

“The ICT infrastructure is part of the entire project and what we are doing now is the first phase in which we will construct the terraces, changing rooms, the pavilion for both VVIP and VIP,” said Kerich.

The County has not tendered the facilities though they were included in the planning, she said.

Kerich said construction works at the stadium will begin this week and it will take eight months to be completed.

There are fears that the first phase will be completed late; just few months to the event and the tendering for the ICT facilities and installing them may not meet the deadline.

Mwachiro, however, said the government is committed to do the needful to ensure the stadium is completed in time.

“From now there will be no activity at this stadium until when the construction is complete,” he said.

“We are confident that Kipchoge Keino Stadium will be ready to host some of the CHAN matches. The government will ensure the sporting facilities are ready in time.”

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