The sports sector in Murang’a County is set to undergo major transformation.
The region is on the verge of getting its first Sh700 million ultra-modern stadium, capable of hosting international sports tournaments.
Mumbi Stadium, a fully kitted 10,000-seater facility, is the government’s sports flagship project in the region that will bolster the ongoing efforts to identify, nurture, and grow talent in the county and beyond.
The Principal Secretary in the State Department for Sports, Elijah Mwangi, has noted that the stadium project is a critical element in the growth and development of talents for thousands of youth in diverse sporting disciplines in the region.
He added that the facility is poised to uplift the status of the county and confer on the region a competitive edge in terms of hosting regional and international sports tournaments.
The PS was speaking at Mumbi Girls High School on Monday during a physical verification of the grounds where the facility will be constructed.
“We must give our children an opportunity to grow and develop their talents. This means establishing sporting infrastructure specially configured to bring out the best in them. This is what Mumbi Stadium promises to do,” he said.
According to the design, the facility will have a standard football pitch, an eight-lane running track with tartan, changing rooms, VIP pavilions, and parking, as well as holding rooms.
The stadium will also have auxiliary pitches for other sports, including volleyball, handball, basketball, and netball, in addition to other critical amenities that support the operationalization of such a stadium.
During the inspection tour, the PS was accompanied by engineers from Sports Kenya led by the Director General Gabriel Komora and a technical team from Public Works.
The green light to commence this multi-million-shilling project comes after extensive consultative engagements between the ministry and the local community alongside the Mumbi Girls School Board of Management.
Mr. Peter Maina, the school’s board chair, said the project would equally serve the schools’ sports development programme, especially in promoting the pathway for arts and sports under the current educational curriculum.
The school is poised to get an alternative ground for their sporting activities in addition to having access to the stadium once it’s complete.
“We know the value and worth of this project. This is why we are excited as a school because it will also be beneficial to the learners,” he said.
Mumbi Stadium is one of the two major stadiums to be constructed in Murang’a County. Following a presidential directive on acceleration of sports development in the region, the county is also set to construct Gakoigo Stadium in Maragua Constituency.
The stadium will also serve to develop talent among the hundreds of football clubs in the region as well as be utilized by the county and communities for hosting high-profile public events.
Murang’a County is also set to have two modern constituency sports academies under the Kenya Academy of Sports as part of catalyzing the growth of sporting talents amongst learners in schools from the region.
The Mirira Sports Academy in Kiharu Constituency, currently over 50 per cent complete, will feature a football pitch, running tracks, a pavilion, and additional courts for other sports.
The Sports Academy at Mukerenju Primary School in Kandara Constituency will also bolster the development of talents amongst learners and youth in the region.
Poised to spend approximately Sh100 million, these facilities will significantly bolster the county’s capacity to grow and nurture talents in the region.
Speaking elsewhere, Murang’a CECM for sports Manoah Gachucha lauded the national government’s efforts of constructing modern national stadia in the county.
He noted the county’s proximity to Nairobi would be well placed to host many national and international games.
Gachucha challenged local young people to focus more on sports and prepare to fully utilise the stadia to nurture their talents.
By Bernard Munyao
