When former president Uhuru Kenyatta elevated Nakuru to a city on December 1, 2021, locals were optimistic that the town’s new status would come with improved services, better social amenities and physical infrastructure.
Whereas Nakuru’s 400,000 residents have realised better road infrastructure and more vibrant business environment, sportsmen and women, particularly footballers, have nothing to smile about following delayed completion of renovation work at Afraha Stadium.
Fans in the football-mad city were optimistic that renovation work on the facility would be completed in good time, perhaps in time to host some of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations matches.
Kenya will co-host the 36th edition of Africa’s premier national team tournament with Uganda and Tanzania.
Kenya’s marathon legend, Ibrahim Hussein, who also works for World Athletics as one of the technical directors in Africa, made an impromptu tour of the stadium in March last year to inspect progress of work of laying an artificial running track at the facility, and advised Nakuru County officials to seize the opportunity by finishing work at the stadium.
However, with the renovation work moving at a snail’s pace, it is unlikely that Afraha Stadium will host some of the matches. To make matters worse, Nakuru County Government has twice pushed forward the completion date.
The stadium hosted the 2018 Coca-Cola Under-16 Africa Cup of Nations, and the 2018 Football Kenya Federation Cup (SportPesa Super Cup).
Football Kenya Federation Premier League team Ulinzi Stars hosted its home matches at the stadium, as did defunct league clubs such as Nakuru All Stars, Scarlet FC, Red Berets, Gema FC, Transcom, Kenya Farmers Association (KFA), Nyanam, Abeingo, among others.
“As budding footballer it would have been a great opportunity for me to watch top footballers in Africa at our home ground,” Samson Murerwa who lives in neighbouring Kaptembwa slums says.
Some of the top footballers from Nakuru such as Ambrose Ayoyi ‘Golden Boy’, John Muiruri, Sammy Abidah, Josphat Murila, James Odawa, Joseph Odera, former AFC Leopards lead attacker Elvis “Machapo” Rupia, among others, honed their football skills at Afraha Stadium.
A man makes a point during a meeting with Nakuru County officials in Nakuru on January 19, 2025.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation
Others like the late David Akoi, David Mwangi, Washngton Muhanji, Sammy Okoth ‘Jogoo’, David Akoi, Francis Baraza and former Tusker FC and Ulinzi Stars coach Robert Matano took their football careers a notch higher after starting out at the facility. Midfielder Hillary Echesa who played for Transcom Nakuru in 1997, and later turned out for Ulinzi Stars is also a product of Afraha Stadium.
Gor Mahia’s former striker and legend, Peter Dawo who played for Transcom FC, also perfected his shooting skills at the stadium.Former Harambee Stars coach, the late Sammy Nyongesa, also natured young talents at the stadium.
Runners have also benefited from the dusty murram track inside the stadium. In 1993, Robert Kibet, a two-time Africa Athletics Championships silver medallist, ran the fastest 800 metres time recorded on Kenyan soil at Afraha Stadium when he clocked a hand-timed 42.5 seconds over the distance.
Multiple Olympics and world 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon, competed in school championships at Afraha Stadium. She comes from Kuresoi South sub-county which is regarded as a breeding ground of top athletes talent.
The first phase the renovation work started in 2021 and was meant to take 18 months, but that has taken four years, increasing the cost from Sh650 million to Sh683 million.
Youth protests outside the gates to Afraha Stadium in Nakuru city demanding the immediate opening of the facility. The county government on Nakuru later held a meeting with youth and promised to complete the delayed and stalled refurbishment of the facility in three-month time.
Photo credit: BONIFACE MWANGI/NATION
Refurbishment of the 77-year-old stadium to world-class standards was launched in April 2021 by former governor Lee Kinyanjui, and was to be complete in December 2022 after 18 months. However, the completion date was extended after changes were made to the initial design.
Nakuru City manager Gitau Thabanja attributes the delay to unplanned relocation of power lines and water pipes, which serve neighboring areas. Since then, the deadline for completion of the work has been pushed forward at least five times, most recently in December last year.
In October last year, Mr Thabanja had indicated that the first phase of the project was complete and only seats were yet to be fitted on the stands.
He said procurement of the seats had been delayed as a consequence of the withdrawal of the Finance Act 2024 following nationwide protests.
“We are currently waiting for the budget to be approved given challenges with the Finance Bill 2024. Once the budget has been operationalised, we shall instal seats on the stands, and the facility will be re-opened to the public,” Mr Thabanja said at the time.
However, that deadline passed, and the stadium remains closed. Theres is no activity at the site, which is guarded by private security officers. On January 19, local youth held demonstrations at the facility, prompting County Secretary Samwel Mwaura to issue a new deadline.
“We are working round the clock to ensure the stadium is ready in four months,” Mwaura told football stakeholders at Old Town Hall in Nakuru on December 19.
Robert Maeri, one of the project’s committee members from Nakuru West who is also the chairperson Nakuru West Football Clubs, said the playing surface is not yet ready.
“As a committee representative from Nakuru West, I demanded that the pitch be renovated as it is overgrown by grass,” said Maeri.
Hassan Hussein who coaches Nakuru West Youth team said Nakuru County may miss an opportunity to host East Africa secondary school should the delays persist.
Mr Thabanja said the supplementary budget is yet to be approved for the procurement of the seats which is the reason for the delay.
According to him the reopening date is dependent on the availability funds to finalize the first phase which according to him is 99 percent complete.
The upgrading of the historic sporting facility to international standards will go at a cost of Sh4 billion in five phases.
Phase one of the facelift was supposed to entail the construction of a modern football pitch, an athletics racing track, medical rooms, restaurants and chaining rooms.
The World Bank is funding the project under the Kenya Urban Support Programme(KUSP) through the State Department of Housing and Urban Development.
