This archive report was first published on 18 November 2019.
The Narok Stadium in Kenya has been renamed Ole Ntimama Stadium, following a government agreement with Maasai leaders to honour the late Maasai politician.
According to Sports Minister Amina Mohammed, the government has accepted the proposal to rename the stadium after Ole Ntimama, who was a strong defender of Maasai rights and traditions.
"The request by the Maa Community to have the Narok Stadium's name changed from Narok Stadium to Ole Ntimama Stadium in honour of the community hero, William Ole Ntimama has been accepted by the government," Amina said in a speech read on her behalf during a prayer meeting at the Stadium over the weekend.
The government has also promised to renovate and upgrade the facility to reach world-class standards by the end of 2022, and to uplift the stadium to international standards by March 2020.
The calls to rename the facility after Ole Ntimama were first made by ODM party leader Raila Odinga during the burial of former Transport Licensing Board chairman Hassan Ole Kamwaro on September 28, 2019.
William Ole Ntimama died on September 1, 2016.
