Officials who had accompanied Sports CS Salim Mvurya inspect an incomplete dais at Ruring'u Stadium in Nyeri Town during a site visit on March 27, 2025.
As President William Ruto prepares to visit the Mt Kenya region tomorrow, attention once again turns to Ruring’u Stadium—a long-promised dream that remains unfinished after seven years of political back-and-forth.
Launched with great optimism by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in June 2017, the stadium was expected to be completed within six months.
Instead, it has become a symbol of stalled development, surviving two government regimes, three governors, eight Cabinet Secretaries, and three Members of Parliament, with little progress to show.
Designed in two phases, the project has faced financial setbacks and bureaucratic battles. A long-standing dispute over a power line cutting through the site stalled construction for nearly two years, as Kenya Power demanded Sh1 million for its relocation—an expense the original contractor claimed was not included in his budget.
President Ruto, then Deputy President, visited the site in June 2020 and assured residents of its imminent completion. However, like previous pledges, his promise faded into a cycle of high-profile visits filled with directives that never materialized.
Now, as Ruto returns to the region, Ruring’u remains a glaring reminder of unfulfilled commitments.
Just last week, Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya led a high-profile delegation, including three MPs, to yet another fact-finding mission at the stadium. Upon arrival, Mvurya dismissed claims that the project was 75 per cent complete, saying, “There is nothing to talk about.”
To fast-track completion, the CS announced that the military would now be involved, working alongside the contractor to finish the project within a year.
However, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, who accompanied the delegation, voiced scepticism. “We hope that this tour has not been prompted by the upcoming visit of the President in the region,” he remarked, echoing the frustration of many locals who have witnessed years of empty promises.
Kahiga partly blamed the slow progress on frequent leadership changes at the Sports Ministry. He urged President Ruto to allow the current CS to remain in office and focus on completing stalled projects rather than reshuffling the ministry again.
While reaffirming his administration’s willingness to collaborate, Kahiga noted that the county had already fulfilled its obligation of fencing the stadium—though parts of it were now collapsing. “We are ready to work with your office to ensure we deliver this to Kenyans,” he told Mvurya.
Mvurya’s announcement of a revised stadium plan has rekindled hope, but it also means an even longer wait for the people of Nyeri. The initial 2,000-seater design has now been scrapped in favour of a new 15,000-capacity stadium.
“Whatever design was there before, there will be a lot of modification so that we have quality," Mvurya said. "We are looking at doing a sports facility with standards that will fit even CAF so that people can play all kinds of matches and competitions.”
The expanded design will include terraces covering the entire pitch, a larger parking lot, and additional changing rooms. With these upgrades, the project budget will increase from Sh480 million to Sh800 million.
However, Mvurya assured locals that the money already spent is not wasted. “We will not demolish what is there, but rather improve upon it,” he clarified.
The inclusion of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) in the project has brought some reassurance that work will finally progress with speed and quality.
