This archive report was first published on 6 December 2019.
Published on December 6, 2019
Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago and Nandi Governor Steven Arap Sang have taken issue with the Ministry of Sports over the slow pace of renovations at the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret.
According to Mandago, the central government's decision to micromanage the construction process from Nairobi is hindering progress. He argued that the county government has a fully-fledged public works department capable of overseeing the project.
'Even if the central government is funding it, they can give us the responsibility of supervising the project. You can't build a stadium in Eldoret from Nairobi,' Mandago said during the Athletics Kenya Athletes' Conference at Sirikwa Hotel, Eldoret.
Mandago emphasized that the Kipchoge Keino stadium can be completed within six months if the Ministry of Sports engages the county government. He assured the government that his team can deliver quality and timely results.
However, Cabinet Secretary for Sports Amina Mohamed remained non-committal on the issue during the conference.
Meanwhile, Mandago's county government has undertaken to build a 64 Stadium in Eldoret, which will feature a modern track for time trials. The project is expected to be completed in 18 months.
Construction of the Kipchoge Keino stadium in Eldoret and the Kamariny stadium in Iten, Elgeyo-Marakwet County has stalled since 2017 due to non-payment of contractors.
