Editor's Review
Nandi County, widely recognised as the 'Source of Champions,' is building on its rich athletics heritage with the construction of the new Kapsabet Kipchoge Keino Stadium.
Nandi County, widely recognised as the 'Source of Champions,' is building on its rich athletics heritage with the construction of the new Kapsabet Kipchoge Keino Stadium.
In a statement on Saturday, September 5, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the international-standard facility is expected to provide modern infrastructure for athletes while strengthening Nandi County’s position as a global athletics centre.
According to the PS, construction of the 12-acre stadium is being overseen by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), with works progressing rapidly.
Omollo said the new stadium is intended to build on Nandi’s reputation by creating facilities capable of nurturing the next generation of athletes.
"The new Kapsabet Kipchoge Keino Stadium builds on this legacy by providing modern infrastructure that can nurture emerging talent and strengthen the county's position as a global centre for athletics," the statement read.
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Omollo said construction of the facility is advancing under the oversight of the Kenya Defence Forces.
"Construction of the 12-acre, international-standard facility is progressing rapidly under the oversight of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF)," the statement added.
The stadium will feature a range of modern sporting facilities, including a large grandstand, a covered seating section, an international-standard athletics track and a regulation football pitch.
"The stadium features a 10,000-seat grandstand, expandable to 15,000; a 14-tier covered grandstand with a 4-metre structural steel canopy; an IAAF-standard 10-lane mixed-surface track; and a FIFA-approved regulation football pitch," the statement further read.
According to Omollo, the facility will also help reduce the need for athletes from Nandi to travel outside the county for elite training camps by bringing high-quality training infrastructure closer to them.
"The facility is also designed to decentralise elite training camps, giving athletes access to world-class facilities within their home county while creating a stronger pathway for local talent development," the statement noted.
Beyond training and talent development, the stadium is expected to enhance Nandi’s ability to host major athletics competitions and potentially attract continental events.
"It will also position Nandi to bid for major continental events, including the 2029 African Athletics Championships," the statement concluded.
Elsewhere, talent development through sports and the creative arts is being positioned as an important part of Kenya’s long-term development agenda.
In a statement on Friday, September 4, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the ongoing rehabilitation of Kericho Green Stadium, now renamed Kiprugut Chumo Stadium, is part of efforts to establish modern sporting facilities that can support talent development and community engagement.
"It is in this spirit that the comprehensive rehabilitation of Kericho Green Stadium, now Kiprugut Chumo Stadium in honour of Kenya's first Olympic medallist, is taking shape as a modern sporting hub," he wrote.
According to Omollo, the project was taken over by the national government after earlier renovation efforts stalled, with the facility subsequently handed over to the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to oversee its execution.
"Works are now active, with the old structures being stripped down to make way for a world-class facility featuring an IAAF-standard tartan track, a modern football pitch with proper drainage and expanded spectator capacity of more than 20,000," he added.
Omollo said the rehabilitation will also ensure materials recovered from the old stadium are put to productive use, with steel structures being repurposed for facilities in Londiani, Sosiot and Tulwet.
"The investment creates a shared space where talent, community and national identity meet, supporting the State Department for Internal Security and National Administration's broader role in fostering unity, cohesion and peaceful interaction through sport," he further said.
