Dandora residents in protest over stalled stadium repair works
Dandora Stadium is at the centre of a storm following the stalled repair works for close to two years now.
Yesterday, a section of irate Dandora residents held demonstrations in Nairobi city centre demanding to be told why the work of which was 85 percent completed stalled.
Business along City Hall Way was almost disrupted as the demonstrators waved placards demanding to be addressed by Nairobi Metropolitan Services Director General Mohammed Badi.
Later on, Badi said he had received a letter from the stadium management detailing the complaint and will act on it in due course.
The bone of contention was the stoppage of repair works at the stadium on the directive of the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission to investigate claims that part of the funds allocated for the refurbishment may have been misappropriated.
Nairobi Metropolitan Services had been tasked by the government to oversee the rehabilitation that had been jump-started by the Nairobi County government under the Governor Mike Sonko.
Apparently, there has been a protracted tussle over the control of the stadium of which Sonko is credited with a huge chunk of repairs.
According to the residents, the suppression of repair works is bound to deny the unemployed youth in the larger Dandora neighbourhood a chance to earn livelihood which may in turn make them resort to crime.
‘’As we speak, most of the youth in Dandora are unemployed and were looking forward to working at the stadium to survive.
How will they do it when work has stopped,?’’ posed Paul ‘’Pablo’’ Murigi, who is the Dandora Phase 3 Community leader.
Speaking separately, Dandora Ward 2 Member of County Assembly Cyrus Ongwae urged the authorities to move with speed and take legal action on whoever is culpable of embezzling money meant for the upgrade of the stadium.
‘’We cannot sit back and watch when the stadium rots away and those culpable of theft of funds should face the full force of the law,’’ said Ongwae.
