Stalled Stadium: Families mourn as neglected Kabarnet project claims lives

Launched in 2014 as a flagship devolution project under Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi’s first term, Kabarnet Stadium was meant to be a symbol of progress, a state-of-the-art sports complex designed to promote talent and host regional athletic events.

But a decade later, the only things it hosts are illicit activities, livestock grazing, and, increasingly, grief-stricken families burying their dead.

The stadium stands in disrepair. Its walls are collapsing, the grass is wild, and the air hangs heavy with smoke and decay. At the edge of a crumbling cliff inside the stadium, empty liquor bottles scatter the ground, evidence of the danger that now haunts the site.

Once a promising sports project, the stadium now echoes with stories of death, crime, and broken government promises, with residents demanding urgent questions about government accountability and the misuse of public funds.

The Kabarnet Stadium project was allocated over Sh60 million since its inception, according to local leaders and activists. Excavation works began in 2015, with some perimeter wall construction reported by 2016. But the project stalled shortly after.

Today, only a portion of the perimeter wall stands, much of it collapsed or unfinished. The playing field is overrun with weeds and gullies, and a dangerously steep cliff left by an incomplete levelling job cuts across the stadium like a scar.

“The government claims Sh20 million went to the perimeter wall alone. If that’s true, where’s the wall?” asks Isaiah Biwott, a human rights activist and director of Citizen Participation Forum.

He expressed concern that since construction stopped in 2017, the site has turned into a death trap and a hub for criminal activity, particularly drug dealing. Two of his close friends had fallen from the rocky cliff inside the stadium and later succumbed to their injuries, he said.

“This stadium has cost families their breadwinners, simply because it has been left open and accessible to everyone without any form of control,” he stated.

For Ms Esther Koech, the stadium is a painful reminder of a life shattered by negligence. Her husband, a mason and father of their four children, left home one morning in February to watch a local school match and never returned.

Hours later, he was dead – not from violence or illness, but from falling to his death at the stalled stadium.

At least four people, including Esther’s late husband, Mr Nepert Anainga, 43, have lost their lives after falling from the dangerously exposed cliff. Esther is still seeking answers.

“He left home that morning full of life. Hours later, he was dead. The place is a death trap, and they know it. Why is no one taking responsibility?” she asks.

The late Anainga suffered severe head trauma and broken limbs. He died instantly.

“It has been six months since I lost my husband. He became another statistic. This is more than neglect; it is criminal. The government has blood on its hands,” lamented Ms Koech.

“That cliff has taken lives, and the county knows it. Still, nothing has been done.”

In December 2021, a man fell while navigating a narrow path along the cliff, and another young man sustained serious injuries earlier this year while being chased by a group of youths.

Even livestock have fallen from the cliff.

Beyond the deaths, the abandoned Kabarnet Stadium has also been converted into a hub for illegal activities such as drug abuse, alcohol consumption, prostitution, and muggings.

Every morning, groups of youth can be seen lounging in the bushy corners of the stadium, smoking marijuana and drinking second-generation alcohol. The site, now covered in trash and broken bottles, has become a no-go zone for many residents of the adjacent Bondeni village.

“It is no longer a stadium; it is a crime scene. Women have been harassed, people have been mugged, and children are playing near cliffs that can kill them,” says Mr Joseph Wanoma, a Kabarnet local.

He says the deep cliff was created by a contractor who did the initial excavation in 2015, then abandoned the work. “Now it is just there, open, deadly, and ignored,” Mr Wanoma says.

He expressed concern that the stadium has become a hotspot for criminal activity, serving as a hideout for drug peddlers, muggers, and sex workers.

Residents further lamented that the county government has yet to compensate families who have lost loved ones after fatal falls at the hazardous site.

“We live in fear. We have to use the path through the stadium to get home, but we are never sure if we will make it safely,” adds Mr Noordin Juma, a Bondeni resident.

“Several women have been sexually harassed here. It is also extremely dangerous for children who play in the area, as they risk falling from the cliff. To make matters worse, part of the perimeter wall has collapsed due to poor workmanship,” he said.

Despite the multiple deaths and community appeals, the county government has not fenced off the stadium or offered compensation to affected families. The lack of signage, barriers, or even basic warnings has left residents vulnerable to more accidents.

Ms Amina Khalfan, a resident of Bondeni village, said that poor drainage at the stadium usually causes flooding in nearby homes, as rainwater flows directly into their compounds.

“We are told the shoddy construction here cost taxpayers over Sh60 million, yet there is nothing to show for it,” she said.

Yassin Hamisi, the chairperson of the Baringo Central Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (Supkem), urged the county government to fence off the dilapidated stadium and seal all entry points as a temporary measure.

He said this would help reduce further loss of life and curb illegal activities at the site, even as efforts are made to secure funds to complete the project.

In a recent interview, Governor Cheboi admitted that the project stalled during his first term and was not prioritised under his successor, Governor Stanley Kiptis.

“We had a vision for the stadium in 2014, but due to funding challenges, it stalled. We are now allocating funds in the upcoming financial year to complete it,” he said.

Mr Cheboi added that President William Ruto had “personally promised” to support the county to complete the project and had agreed to consider Baringo as a host for future national events, a move that would require stadium upgrades.

However, when pressed on how much had already been spent on the stalled project, the governor was vague. “About Sh20 million went into the perimeter wall, but more work is needed,” he said.

Residents say they have heard the same promises for nearly a decade with no action, with the county government shifting blame between administrations.

During a visit to the stadium in September 2022, just weeks after taking office, Governor Cheboi raised concerns over the deteriorating state of the facility. He assured residents that the county government was committed to completing the project and that procurement processes were underway to engage a new contractor.

“We are concerned that a project which began during my tenure in 2014 remains incomplete after all these years. While I acknowledge the challenges, I also place blame the previous administration for abandoning the project over political differences. I want to assure the public that construction will resume soon,” he said.

Baringo residents have demanded an audit of funds spent on the Kabarnet Stadium project and the immediate fencing and closure of the facility until it is no longer poses a danger to passersby.

They have also demanded compensation for families affected by injuries or deaths, a clear timeline for project resumption and completion, public release of the contractor details, and accountability for substandard work.

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