Even after gobbling up more than Sh1 billion, Kinoru Stadium in Meru County remains dilapidated and unusable 10 years after the second phase of rehabilitation works started.
The stadium, whose construction started in 2015 under the first county administration led by Governor Peter Munya, lies in disrepair with a torn tartan track, dusty pitch and terraces whose paint is peeling off. The facility also lacks a standard running track and an appropriate playing surface.
Repair work was done and completed in 2021, but the facility was never opened for use. Grass on the playing surface has since dried up since boreholes sunk by Sports Kenya, the state corporation mandated with establishing and managing local sports facilities and programmes, ran dry, rendering the irrigation system redundant.
In 2015, Meru County government spent more than Sh160 million in upgrading and constructing the stadium, and Sports Kenya took over the stadium in February 2017 after an agreement with Governor Kiraitu Murungi and committed to spend more than Sh869.1 million on the facility as one of the venues for 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) which had been scheduled to be held in Kenya but was later taken to Morocco. The contractor was expected to complete work at the stadium in August 2017.
But a report of the Auditor General for the financial year 2021/2022 shows that Sports Kenya had spent more than Sh843.8 million on rehabilitation of the stadium as at June 2022.
Inside Kinoru Stadium in Meru County in this photo taken on September 16, 2026.
Photo credit: David Muchui | Nation
“A review of this project during the financial year 2019/2020 revealed that the contractor and sub-contractors had been paid a total of Sh740,883,085, resulting in an unexplained cost overrun of Sh298,745,555,” the audit report for 2019/2020 reads. Another contract worth Sh282 million was awarded in September 2017 for work intended to be complete in July 2020.
The audit report for the 2021/2022 financial year shows that Sports Kenya allocated Sh8 million for ‘Kinoru Stadium launch’ but spent more than Sh6.9 million of this on repair and maintenance. No launch was held. In 2022, auditors flagged various anomalies at the stadium, which was already complete and ready for commissioning.
“The tartan track had numerous wear and tear and potholes. Further, the running track could only accommodate six lanes instead of the eight lanes recommended by the International Association of Athletics Federation - IAAF (now World Athletics).”
“The grass on the football pitch had dried up from failure to water it regularly. Further, the roof ceiling on the pavilion was sagging and gaping from frequent rainwater leakage from the iron roof. The floor of the water treatment and power generator building is already chipping away,” the Auditor-General noted.
The VIP, drainage and tartan track at Kinoru Stadium on May 28, 2022.
Photo credit: Charles Wanyoro | Nation
Phase two of the project included pitch works, sub-base for the tartan track, VIP Pavilion, water system, ablution blocks, terraces, parking, and perimeter wall. The works were to ensure the stadium meets IAAF and FIFA standards, and included installation of 10,000 seats.
“The stadium cannot meet international standards because it has no floodlights and seats. Besides the athletics track being worn out, it was also not done to standard hence, it cannot be used for competitions,” Meru County Sports Executive Elias Murega said.
However, speaking during a tour of the facility recently, Sports Kenya’s Deputy Director General Gabriel Komora said work at the facility stalled after Kenya lost 2018 CHAN hosting rights, and National Treasury slashed the funds.
“When funding was restricted, we could not install floodlights, seats and other items agreed on in our memorandum with the county government. We are looking for funds to redo the athletics track, install seats and enhance water supply at the facility,” he said.
Mr Komora said Sh43 million was needed to rebuild police and national administration offices which were demolished at the Stadium.
Inside Kinoru Stadium in Meru County in this photo taken on September 16, 2026. The Stadium was first built by the county government of Meru at a cost of Sh160 million before Sports Kenya started refurbishment for Sh862 million in 2017.
Photo credit: David Muchui | Nation
Speaking during the second Meru University Mountain Run on September 5, Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi said Sh150 million has been allocated for renovation of Kinoru Stadium in the current financial year.
“We are in the final stages of procurement to identify a contractor who will complete Kinoru Stadium works. We want to ensure the stadium is built to standard just as we have done in other parts of the country,” Mr Mwangi said.
Sports stakeholders in Meru have raised concern over the dilapidated state of the stadium, calling for urgent intervention to allow resumption of sporting activities.
