Sports enthusiasts in Isiolo frustrated by delayed completion of Sh345m stadium

In June 2019, the building of what was billed as a state-of-the-art stadium in Isiolo County at a cost of Sh 345 million started. Youth and sports enthusiasts in the county hoped that soon, they would have a place to showcase their talent.

But four years and eight months later, there are no signs of the stadium being completed soon, despite assurances from past and present administrations that the project would be expedited. Virtually no significant progress has been witnessed at the construction site opposite Isiolo town's main stage.

When you visit the site, what greets you is a rusty gate whose inscriptions have started fading away. The building started during the tenure of former governor Mohamed Kuti. But now there are no machines at the site, an indication that the contractor could have left long ago. Hopes have dwindled as the site remains inactive, devoid of any visible activity.

Youth in Isiolo have expressed their frustrations over this prolonged delay in completing the stadium.

Once completed, the stadium was expected to help nurture local talent and provide a platform for sports enthusiasts in the county to excel.

So far, a pavilion and some terraces have been built.

I don't believe Isiolo Stadium will be open even in the next 3 years; it will be a miracle if it opens within that time frame.
 
Governor shd hasten and open this stadium, but at the same time, what's the essence of havin a stadium when we cannot even sponsor one team from Isl? pic.twitter.com/qmLRkxmH66

— Guru Voke 🇰🇪 (@guru_voke) February 9, 2024

Phase two of the construction of the stadium is expected to comprise terraces and another pavilion, directly opposite the one already built, a tartan track with eight lanes and pitch for football, volleyball, netball and basketball, all with artificial turf. It is also expected to host several indoor games such as boxing and badminton.

With the prolonged delay in completing this stadium, sports enthusiasts in the county have to dig deeper into their pockets to access standard training facilities in other counties, while those not in a position to pay are forced to train and play in local schools’ grounds, mostly during weekends so as not to disrupt learning.

And with an alarming youth unemployment rate of about 70 percent, many young people are susceptible to drugs and substance abuse and radicalisation due to idleness and desperation. The unemployed, school dropouts and those fresh from secondary schools are the likely target for recruitment into terror groups which many see as an escape route from poverty.

Sport is viewed as key in dealing with such societal issues and it is for this reason that key stakeholders in Isiolo want the stadium completed.

Justin Maingi, 24, is among local footballers who have been bearing the brunt of inadequate training facilities in the county.

“I have no option other than to use the training fields that are available, either in local schools or churches,” he says.

Athletes have been doing speed work sessions along the Isiolo-Moyale highway.

Another footballer, Hussein Ibrahim, says the delayed completion of the stadium four years since the project started shows a lack of commitment by the former and current governments in empowering local youth.

“There are a lot of talented youth but many have turned to drugs due to frustration. If the stadium was complete, they would be engaged and focused on honing their skills,” he says.

Isiolo Boys High School grounds is among the popular fields used by local football teams, including Olympic Pirates, who were earlier this month relegated to Division Two after missing three matches in a row, apparently due to financial constraints.

Amid the challenges, local talents have risen to national fame, with Harambee Stars striker Masoud Juma and Atoi Boru, the 1992 World Under 20 champions in 1500 metres, who is currently a coach, among those in the list.

This is good scouting, my concern is the state of Isiolo stadium, can something be done to make it useful for the youth within the isiolo town ? https://t.co/UW84hjXT5y

— Dan Mukoya (@dan_mukoyadan) December 9, 2023

“In most cases, players do not have enough practice time which affects their performance,” said George Muriuki who asked the county government to level the school playing fields being used as a stop gap measure before the stadium is completed.

The stadium was to be completed by December 2020 but this was extended for some months due to disruptions caused by the outbreak of Covid-19. But little activity has been going on at the site since July 2021.

The land where the structure sits was previously used for public functions and for training by local youth. Occasional religious meetings at the site have helped breathe some life into the abandoned site.

While the Isiolo County government has often claimed that the delay has been as a result of a cash crunch at the National Treasury, more than half of the money needed to cover the total cost has already been released.

Reports by the Auditor-General show that Sh 262.8 million has so far been injected into the project, representing 75 percent of the total budget.

It is among the projects that county officials refused to provide information on during previous audits for financial years 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, amid allegations that some of the funds could have been diverted to unintended use.

Local youth may have to wait longer to benefit from the project if its current incomplete state is anything to go by.

“We hope the current government will not deliberately delay it to so as use it to campaign during the 2027 general elections,” a resident, Ali Hassan said.

Idleness among the youth has been blamed for the rising cases of burglary and drug addiction, which has ruined the lives of many young people after reducing them to zombies.

Local community leader Osman Shariff Abukar asked the county government to explain to the public why the project has stalled.

“They should tell us if it is an issue of lack of funds, differences with the contractor or any other challenges that have delayed the works. They should also tell residents if there are any new timelines and what measures they have or will put in place to ensure the works are expedited,” he said.

Governor Abdi Ibrahim Guyo recently lamented over the manner in which the existing structure had been built, revealing plans to redo the works so that the stadium meets international standards.

It is among the mega projects that the governor inherited from Kuti and which he has repeatedly assured that he would complete so that residents start benefiting.