Sports CS Ababu halts stadium projects

Sports CS Ababu Namwamba (right) with PS Jonathan Mueke and Tharaka Nithi governor Muthomi Njuki (centre) inspect Kirubia stadium's track. Ababu has ordered fresh works on the stadium to start immediately. [Phares Mutembei, Standard]

Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has announced the freezing of stadium works across the country with exception of Kirubia stadium in Tharaka Nithi and Moi stadium in Embu.

The CS said the national governments had put on hold the works at the stadiums to conduct an audit.

"The Ministry has frozen the development of sporting facilities for the next three months for purposes of conducting a special audit to determine how these projects were conducted, the amount of money spent and whether there had been value for money and why some of them stalled like Kamariny stadium in Elgeyo Marakwet and Wote in Makueni," he said. Ababu said they wanted to understand why work was substandard.

"We want to know for instance, why a tartan track like the one here at Kirubia which was just laid a year ago is already peeling off. That special audit is going on and it is being undertaken by the Auditor General," he said.

Abau said the audit was part of the master plan for the development of sporting facilities.

"We want to do facilities that meet international standards. We are very keen to host major regional and international tournaments," Ababu said.

He said work at Kirubia and Moi in Embu will continue.