After orchestrating the ‘sale’ of JKIA to Adani, MURKOMEN now wants to ‘sell’ Kasarani and Nyayo stadia among others to private investors - Look

Friday, September 27, 2024 - Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen is considering leasing Nyayo and Kasarani stadia to private investors, similar to his approach with the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

This is after he proposed the leasing of the facilities to private investors as a way to end the issue of stadium development and maintenance in the country.

While appearing before the National Assembly, Murkomen said Public-Private Partnership (PPP) was the way to go since there is currently no budgetary allocation towards developing stadiums.

While sharing his reports on the progress of different stadiums across the country, the CS disclosed that there were consultations with the Council of Governors on the possibility of collaborating with the private sector to maintain the newly- constructed stadiums and complete stalled projects.

"We are reviewing the sports policy to know how best the private sector can improve stadiums," he said.

According to the CS, since the government was struggling with budgetary allocations, the most plausible way to keep stadiums in peak condition would be to surrender them to private investors.

Murkomen cited England as a classic example, noting how the only state-owned stadium was the famous Wembley, which mainly hosts international matches and cup finals.

"I think the government should not be owning stadia," he added.  "All over the world, the government doesn't own stadiums because it is an unnecessary burden on the taxpayer."

Murkomen added that the Ministry was reviewing was exploring ways of collaborating with the private sector to enable them to construct modern infrastructure.

The Kenyan DAILY POST