Kamukunji: From Saba Saba venue to sports ground

The famous Kamukunji grounds that used to host Saba Saba rallies is now a community and sports centre. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

Before 2022, Nairobi’s Kamukunji Grounds was a dusty, rocky, bushy, open and dirty ground that provided a good venue for political rallies.

Residents would frequent it for haircuts from an informal barbershop which was set up in the open.

On weekends, they would gather under the trees to read newspapers and engage in political banter.

It is these informal discussions that became known as ‘citizens’ kamukunji’, Swahili for public assembly.

Entering the ground that is located in Shauri Moyo and Majengo slums, in Pumwani ward, Kamukuji constituency, one would encounter hawkers, street families and jobless city residents resting under trees.

Former Prime Minister and opposition leader Raila Odinga, who died on October 15 while on treatment in India, would regularly use the ground for his political rallies.

The ground is historical because the Saba Saba movement was born here on July 7, 1990.

This is after the government, led by President Daniel Moi, banned a planned pro-democracy rally at the ground and arrested opposition leaders led by Charles Rubia and Kenneth Matiba.

The famous Kamukunji grounds that used to host Saba Saba rallies is now a community and sports centre. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

A day like Tuesday, before it was closed for renovation, it could have hosted opposition leaders from the Linda Mwananchi faction of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.

However, President William Ruto promised to transform the ground into a modern community and sports hub. The transformation, which is 90 per cent complete, has seen a complete makeover of the grounds.

Today, the ground has a transformed recreational Kamukunji Park on one side and a sports ground on the other side.

The facility, which has also been renamed Kamukunji Community Centre is set to offer a variety of amenities, including enclosed standard soccer pitch, two multi-purpose pitches that can host hockey, football, handball both with turf and fenced on the sports ground side.

At the entry of the sports ground, there is a building on the left that will host a resource centre and on the right will have a boxing ring and changing rooms. It has terraces.

The centre will also have two multipurpose halls, a modern library, a state-of-the-art digital museum, information technology hub and an indoor gym.

The famous Kamukunji grounds that used to host Saba Saba rallies is now a community and sports centre. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

When The Standard visited the grounds on Tuesday, residents were full of praise to President Ruto for the transforming the grounds. They hoped it will be opened to public soon.

“This has been the only football ground for us and we are grateful that the transformation will help us and our children play in a safe, comfortable ground and we, therefore, thank President Ruto for this gift,” said Maurice Kioko or Moha Shauri Moyo as he is commonly called.

For Austin Onyango, the chairman of Shauri Moyo Football Club, many talents will be nurtured at the facility.

“I request that a monument of Raila Odinga is erected at the facility to remind people, especially the young generation, that it was initially a political ground. I also request that the Kapenguria Six and photos of multi-party democracy fighters to be mounted here for memory.”

Fatuma Wanjiru said, “Once completed, let it be handed over to the community so that many mothers can get jobs here, including in restaurants that will be established, cleaning among others.”