After months of inactivity, construction of the Ruring’u Stadium in Nyeri has resumed, with the contractor assuring the government that the project will be completed by the November 2027 deadline.
A site inspection visit by the Nyeri County Implementation Coordination and Management Committee revealed significant progress of construction under a modified design that will increase the stadium’s capacity from the initial 8,000-seater to 14,000-seater capacity.
According to the Clerk of Works at the Stadium, Warrant Officer I, Samuel Nderitu, in addition to expanding the capacity of the VIP pavilion, the new model will now include the construction of three additional stands each with a 2,000 spectator capacity.
“Construction of the Northern Pavilion is currently at 30 per cent, construction of the East Pavilion is at 25 per cent, and the Southern Pavilion is at 20 percent. We are done with the foundation works and the column works for the three pavilions, and we are currently finishing up the setting of the terrace beams so that we can cast. We would have done more, but we had to wait for the design from the architect which was issued last week,” said Nderitu.
Similarly, renovations of the VIP pavilion are 60 per cent complete. Nderitu confirmed that the structural elements of the pavilion, which included partial demolition of sections of the curved roof and expanding the sitting capacity of the terraces from 2000 to 3000, were complete, and the contractor is currently working on the finishing.
“The demolition was necessary because the original roof was curved and we had to align it. The new roof will now accommodate the expansion on both sides of the pavilion,” he said.
“We have done the electrical first fixing, the plumbing first fixing, and the plaster works are almost complete. We have also constructed the ramp for the Persons with Disability. We have already done the reinforcement of the ramp; we are just remaining with the casting of the concrete of the ramp,” he noted.
Meanwhile, the removal of the worn-out tartan from the athletics track is at 70 per cent complete. Nderitu told the Committee that a new track which is compatible with the mountain region will be installed in line with the updated stadium design. The contractor is expected to plant grass on the football pitch.
Overall, Nderitu said the completion stood at 35 per cent.
The Stadium was first commissioned by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta in June 2017, and it was expected to be completed in 6-8 months.
The Sh 450 million project was poised to be the biggest sporting facility in the Mount Kenya region. Initially, the renovated 2,000-spectator-capacity stadium was to feature a modern changing room, a sports shop, a restaurant, spectator terraces and a VIP terrace.
In May 2025, Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya announced that the Ministry of Sports would engage the Kenya Defence Forces alongside a new contractor to complete the stadium’s construction.
Mvurya said that the Ministry had opted for the multi-agency approach in reviving construction of the stalled stadium as a way of ensuring that the work gets done.
The CS also announced the construction work will resume under a new design which will meet Confederation of African Football (CAF) standards and will see the stadium’s capacity increase from the initial 2,000 to 15,000.
The upgrade, the CS said, is expected to be complete in the next 8-12 months and will cost between Sh 750-Sh 800 million.
“With direction from the President, William Ruto, we have decided to put up model stadiums across the country and the prototype design for Ruring’u Stadium will be a 15,000-seater.
That means that whatever design was there before will be modified so that we have quality. We are also looking at doing sports facilities that meet CAF standards so that people can play all kinds of matches,” said Mvurya, during a fact-finding tour around the stadium.
The committee also visited the recently completed Naru Moru Economic Stimulus Programme market, which was commissioned by President Ruto in 2025.
They also toured the Naru Moru Affordable Housing project, which comprises nine (9) blocks of housing units totalling 1,023 houses. The project is currently at a 14 per cent completion rate.
A tour to the Blue Valley Affordable Housing Project and Ruring’u Affordable Housing revealed steady progress of construction, with the contractors on both sites informing the committee that they had requested an extension of time to December this year.
The Committee also toured the Sh 500 million County Aggregation Industrial Park, whose progress currently stands at 53 per cent completion.
The visit showed that the progress of the Marua-Statelodge-Ruthagati-Mahigaini-Chieni-Hiriga-Kiamariga-Ndunduini-Kwa Wambui-Karandi roads is at 86 per completion rate.
Out of the 43 kilometres year-marked for construction, 35.5 kilometres are already complete. The contractor is expected to complete by road by 30th September this year.
Officials expressed satisfaction with the progress of the ongoing government projects in the county. He called on the contractors to maintain the momentum and ensure they deliver quality work within the agreed timelines.
In order to strengthen coordination, he also urged Heads of Departments to undertake regular visits to the projects and promptly address any emerging challenges.
“We have seen a lot of improvement, so we are satisfied as a government, and we can say that the government has really worked. Some of these constructions are what we can call landmark projects that will transform the face of Nyeri County.”
“How we wish that we work harder and meet the deadlines because the happiness of the government is to see that the money it has invested in those projects is being properly utilised,” said Francis Karuri, who led the delegation.
By Wangari Mwangi and Samuel Maina
