Editor's Review
Kabarnet in Baringo County is set to receive a major boost to its sporting infrastructure with the construction of a new 10,000-seater stadium.
In a statement on Tuesday, September 8, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the project comes after years of delays surrounding the development of the old Kabarnet Stadium project.
He said local athletes have for years faced challenges accessing adequate training facilities, forcing some of them to seek better facilities outside Baringo County.
"Few places in Kenya embody the country's athletics heritage like Kabarnet in Baringo County, a historic high-altitude training ground and cradle of world-class Kenyan athletes."
"Yet for years, local talent travelled to neighbouring Nandi and Uasin Gishu counties in search of proper training facilities after the old stadium project stalled," he wrote.
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Omollo said the new stadium is expected to address the longstanding infrastructure gap by giving athletes, footballers and other young people in Kabarnet a modern facility.
"The new Kabarnet Stadium is therefore a significant investment in sports infrastructure, providing local talent with a home to train, compete and grow while creating opportunities for young people and the wider community," he added.
Omollo explained that the project follows a prolonged period of uncertainty over the initial stadium plans, with the Bondeni site eventually abandoned before the project was relocated and expanded.
"Following a decade of delays, funding challenges and the eventual abandonment of the Bondeni site, H.E President William Ruto intervened to relocate and scale up the project," he further said.
According to Omollo, the replacement project is being constructed on a 15-acre parcel at the ASK Showground in Kaptimbor, providing space for a larger facility designed to serve both athletes and the wider community.
"The new 10,000-seater stadium is rising on a 15-acre site at the Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) Showground in Kaptimbor, on the outskirts of Kabarnet town.
"Construction is progressing well, with major foundation works complete and teams advancing on the steelwork, formwork and concrete works for the multi-tier grandstand," he explained.
Once completed, Omollo said the stadium will have a standard 400-metre athletics track and a tournament-grade football pitch, alongside a covered grandstand and terraces for spectators.
The facility will also include changing rooms, administrative offices and parking areas, while auxiliary courts will provide space for basketball and volleyball.
Beyond sports, the project is expected to generate employment during construction and after completion while creating opportunities for local businesses.
Meanwhile, Nandi County 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.
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.
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.
