Meru County to renovate Kinoru: Governor Munya pledges to pump in Sh120 million to modernise the stadium, which will host KPL champs Tusker FC

By KATHURE MUKURU

An architectural impression of what Kinoru Stadium will look like after renovation.

Football fans in Meru County will have a chance to watch a top Kenyan Premier League (KPL) team play on their land after the county was chosen as the home ground for Tusker FC.

Mafuko Bombers was the last team to use the Meru base for its home matches. But after almost a decade since it closed shop, fans will have a reason to smile as they welcome the former champions.

Tusker FC, whose mother company East Africa Breweries Limited (EABL) is the main sponsor for the Kenyan Premier League, through its flagship brand Tusker, will be playing at Kinoru Stadium soon after a partnership was struck with the county government

Speaking during the certifying tour of the stadium by the club’s officials, Tusker FC CEO Charles Obiny said the stadium had met the minimum requirements to host the club.

“We are happy that the county has allocated money to upgrade the stadium and we have ascertained that there is no hindrance to having the premier league team here,” Obiny said.

Tusker FC management agreed with the Meru county government to have the football pitch levelled for it to be ready for the matches.

Governor Peter Munya expressed delight in the club’s choice of Meru out of other counties, saying they were committed to supporting football in the the county.

“This will be a historical thing and we are telling soccer fans in Meru to get ready for an exciting journey that we have begun towards sports in the county,” he added.

International standards

Meru County has set aside Sh120 million to rebuild Kinoru Stadium to international standards. It will also house more recreation amenities for sportsmen and women.

Munya said they were reclaiming public land bordering the stadium that had been grabbed to provide more room for expansion and additional sporting facilities.

“You understand the stadium is located in the town’s suburb and will open up the area commercially, especially now that we are expecting the bypass that will cross near here not to mention a hotel where the sportsmen and women will stay,” he added.

Meru county has also partnered with the Kenya Forest Service to start a jogging trail at the forest ends, where people can exercise freely and in a good environment.

Munya commended Meru golfers who had got together and sourced funds to start a golf course, which he said the county government would support.

Tusker FC Coach Francis Kimanzi expressed his approval of the facility and commitment by county governments to boost football at the grassroots, which would encourage young talent.

“I am happy that the counties are taking up their role in sports and we are now seeing them rehabilitate old stadia that was long forgotten yet which should have been restored even before devolution.

“We need to get talent from the grassroots through such projects. I believe through this the future of football in the country is bright,” he emphasised.