"Afraha stadium to be opened in three months," county says amid planned #Afrahaifunguliwe demos
The current state of Afraha Stadium. Residents got to tour the facility on Tuesday to check on the progress of the stadium .
Nakuru residents are calling on the county government to reopen Afraha Stadium, saying they are no longer willing to wait for the stadium to be 100 percent completed.
The renovation of the stadium, which began in 2021 at an estimated cost of Sh650 million, was originally expected to take eighteen months. However, the facility remains closed and is yet to be reopened.
Youth and sports coaches from the surrounding areas, including Bondeni, Kivimbumi and Flamingo, have expressed concern about the long delay in reopening the stadium.
During a recent tour of the stadium to assess its progress, stakeholders indicated that they believe the facility is ready for use.
Speaking on behalf of the coaches and players, youth coach Hassan Hussein stressed that the U-18 footballers should be allowed to use the facility before its official opening.
Speaking in red shirt Youth coach Hassan Hussein , during an interview at Afraha Stadium. He wants the county to allow under 18 players to be allowed to use the football pitch in the meantime before the stadium is reopened since it has taken a long time to have it opened.
"From what we see, the pitch, which is our main concern as footballers, is ready for use. All we are asking the county to do is to ensure that the pitch is well maintained. The issue of seating can be addressed later as it is not our immediate priority," he says.
Hussein pointed out that the delay has had a negative impact on the quality of football in Nakuru due to the lack of a proper facility for training and tournaments.
Player David Kisero also highlighted the stadium's potential to nurture talent, citing the success of former players such as Owino Kalaba and the legendary John Mwiruri.
"We have a tournament scheduled for Sunday and our appeal to the county government is to allow it to be held here. We also want an official statement from the CECM for Sports on the date of the official launch as there has been no clear communication from the county," added Kisero.
In response, Nakuru city manager Gitau Thabanja asked for more time and assured residents that the stadium was 95 percent complete.
He said the remaining tasks, such as clearing debris and installing seating on the terrace, would be completed in the next three months.
"We are very close to completion. We want to involve the residents in the process and make sure that everyone is part of the final steps," Thabanja says.