This archive report was first published on 27 December 2019.
Heavy downpours and overuse have left the playing surface at Gusii Stadium in Kisii County severely damaged, prompting authorities to close the facility for two months for renovations.
According to Duke Mainga, the county's executive for sports, the stadium has been overused, hosting several non-sporting events, including the Kenya Inter-Counties and Cultural Association (Kicosca) Games and the 2019 Kenya Communications Sports Organization (Kecoso) Games.
Mainga noted that the underground water system used to water the field had a problem that needed to be fixed, and the grass needed to be maintained.
As a result, National Super League (NSL) side Shabana has had to move its trials from Gusii Stadium to Cardinal Otunga in Mosocho, about 12km away.
Shabana, Gusii Starlets, and Resolution Kisii, who use the ground for their home matches, will now have to seek alternative venues for their home matches.
Shabana is considering using Sony Sugar's Awendo Green Stadium or Zoo's Kericho Stadium for their upcoming matches.
Gusii Starlets head coach Laitred Oyori has urged the authorities to speed up the renovations and ensure that the field is in good shape within the shortest time possible, as looking for alternative grounds would be costly to the affected teams.
Kisii County Football Kenya Federation (FKF) chairman Jezreel Mbegera has challenged the devolved unit to put up more stadiums to avoid overusing Gusii Stadium.
