Murkomen unveils plans to modernise Kenya's stadiums despite budget shortfalls

Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has clarified that his ministry does not receive any budgetary allocation from the National Treasury for the development of sports facilities.

Instead, the ministry relies heavily on the Sports, Arts, and Social Development Fund for its projects.

Murkomen made this revelation during a session with the Senate on Wednesday, in response to a question raised by Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka regarding the state of sports stadiums in Kenya.

"The ministry does not receive budgetary allocation from the National Treasury. The resources are sourced from the Sports, Arts, and Social Development Fund, with a minimal support of Sh20 million towards the construction of Malinya Community Grounds in Ikolomani, Kakamega County," he confirmed.

Murkomen explained that the ministry, through Sports Kenya, is responsible for developing, maintaining, and managing sports stadiums across the country.

Two major stadiums, Nyayo National Stadium and Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani, are under the management of Sports Kenya, while others are under county governments, with some receiving national support.

Addressing concerns about the development and management of sports facilities, Murkomen stated that Kenya lacks a clear framework of intergovernmental relations for sports infrastructure.

"Currently, there is no clear framework of intergovernmental relations in regards to the development and management of sports facilities," Murkomen said.

Sports infrastructure categories

However, the ministry has developed a master plan categorising sports infrastructure based on international standards, ranging from international stadiums to community grounds.

To standardise stadium development, Murkomen revealed that the ministry sought assistance from the Kenya School of Technical and Vocational Education and Training to create standard prototypes for different categories of stadiums.

These prototypes, which were recently submitted to the ministry, will help in estimating costs and avoid wastage in future stadium projects.

Despite these efforts, the ministry still faces challenges in funding.

The ministry's plan to address stalled projects and develop new facilities, especially in preparation for the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN) and the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), was hindered by the lack of government budget allocation.

To overcome this, the ministry has received approval from the National Treasury to securitise the Sports, Arts, and Social Development Fund.

Enforce regulations

In addition, Murkomen acknowledged that Sports Kenya is mandated by law to develop, manage, and enforce regulations for sports facilities.

However, the country currently lacks approved regulations for stadium development.

"We are in the process of developing standards and regulations for all stadium development and management in the country. We will soon table the Sports Stadiums Regulations and Standards for consideration and approval by both Houses," he noted.

Murkomen also highlighted that the Nyayo National Stadium and Moi International Sports Centre are undergoing refurbishments in preparation for CHAN 2025 and AFCON 2027.

He explained that these upgrades are crucial, given that Kenya's participation in international football competitions is contingent on having compliant domestic venues.

"Kenya is on CAF/FIFA sanctions for non-compliant facilities. This calls for immediate and urgent attention to refurbishments," Murkomen added.

Furthermore, Murkomen detailed the consultancy agreements Sports Kenya entered into for the design and project management of stadiums.

He noted that Sports Kenya has worked with the University of Nairobi Enterprises and Services Ltd (UNES) to provide architectural design, engineering services, and project supervision for various stadiums, including Moi International Sports Centre and Kipchoge Keino Stadium.

"Sports Kenya signed a framework agreement with UNES Ltd for the provision of consultancy services for architectural design, engineering services, and project supervision," Murkomen stated.

Despite these ongoing projects, Murkomen acknowledged that there has been little interest from the private sector in developing sports stadiums.

"Currently, there are no expressions of interest from the private sector to develop sports stadiums," Murkomen said, adding that the ministry is actively engaging with potential partners to explore public-private partnerships in the development and management of sports facilities.