The sorry state of Dandora stadium
Rodgers Ndegwa
Dandora Stadium Management Board members have vowed to open the ground today despite the fact that the venue was abandoned before being completed.
A spot-check by People Sport yesterday revealed a sorry state of the facility that was meant to host premier league matches and selected international matches upon its completion, but the works at the facility halted more than a year ago.
The stadium has turned into a breeding spot for snakes and rodents, with the astro turf that was meant to be placed on the playing surface, rotting away on one side of the pitch where it is folded and seats are also wearing out even before the facility is launched for use.
The Sh 350 million project, believed to be 80 per cent complete, was scheduled to be completed by early last year but a stand-off between Nairobi County Government and Scanjet Construction Company who are the contractors, over the usage of steel rather than concrete to build the stands continues to be the bone of contention.
The stadium was to be one of the four facilities meant to be constructed by the County Government in the 2017-18 financial year.
The other three included the Kawangware, Ziwani and Kihumbuini grounds whose constructions are yet to take off.
The state-of-the-art facility was to be built in relation to FIFA standards with an artificial turf, a modern gymnasium and floodlights among the key features that were to be fitted to enable it host selected international matches or be used as a training ground by national teams.
The stadium’s chairman Geoffrey Okoti says the condition of the unfinished facility in Dandora has raised queries in the community hence the decision to fast track the opening up of the facility for the over 32 football teams around the area to use.
“The failure by the County Government and the contractor to finalise (the works) despite President Uhuru Kenyatta giving the directive in his recent visit to the area is very frustrating.
We expected that after the directive in February something was going to happen but the contractor has not been seen.
We have pleaded with the County, Ministry of Sports and Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) to have the ground completed but our cries have fell on deaf ears,” Okoti told People Sport.
