This archive report was first published on 4 October 2019.
Tharaka Nithi County has long been a source of amusement during election cycles, with Kenyans joking about the county's ability to sway the outcome of the entire process. However, the county's sports scene has often been overlooked.
Despite this, local youth are actively engaged in sports, with 68 registered men's football clubs, 45 in Maara and 67 in Chuka, and 26 active women's football teams in the county.
Notable clubs include Panga FC, Live Wire, and Kibugua Junior, which recently won the Chuka Igambang'ombe League, as well as Kathwana youngsters, Maara Young Tigers, and Kairuni football clubs, which participate in the county league.
However, the majority of youth do not realize their full potential due to limited spaces in public school fields. But all is not lost, as the first-ever stadium takes shape at Kirubia market, situated about 2km from Chuka town, off the Meru-Embu highway.
The Sh384 million Kirubia Stadium is attracting sports tourists from various regions who are keen to replicate the facility in their home counties. Construction began in 2016 and was set to be completed in 2017, although the completion is behind schedule.
Once complete, the stadium will have an international standard tartan track, a football pitch, changing rooms, and a sitting capacity of 4,500. The land on which the stadium stands was donated by the Mugwe community.
Tharaka Nithi has never hosted any national sports event, but Governor Muthomi Njuki is optimistic that after Kirubia Stadium is completed, it will become an epicentre of sports. The government is also building three major stadiums at Kairuni in Maara, Nyangumi Stadium at Marimanti in Tharaka, and Kathwana in Chuka Igambang'ombe constituencies.
