By KPC Sports Reporter
The government has assured traders and businesses in Thika that there will be no displacement or disruption of commercial activities during the construction of the planned modern 10,000-seater stadium.
Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya said the multi-million-shilling project is designed to uplift the region’s sporting profile without negatively affecting surrounding enterprises.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony in Thika, Mvurya emphasized that livelihoods would be protected as construction gets underway.
“I want to state that the businesses around the stadium and other livelihood activities will not be disrupted when this project starts,” he said.
The CS noted that the facility would serve as strategic infrastructure to spur economic growth and position the town as a key sporting hub within Kiambu County.
Mvurya was accompanied by Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya, Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi and Defence PS Patrick Mariru.
Tuya echoed the assurance, saying existing amenities within the stadium complex would remain intact.
“The amenities installed in the stadium to bolster sports will not be affected by the stadium construction,” she said.
She added that the project, estimated to cost hundreds of millions of shillings, would significantly boost the growth and stature of Thika town.
The upgraded facility will feature an expanded 10,000 seating capacity, an eight-lane modern running track, a standard football pitch, changing rooms, a canopy and a VVIP pavilion for dignitaries.
Construction is expected to take less than a year, with the stadium earmarked as one of Kenya’s training venues for the upcoming AFCON tournament.
Sports PS Elijah Mwangi said Kiambu is a major beneficiary of the government’s ongoing programme to develop modern sports infrastructure nationwide.
The county hosts key stadiums such as Kirigiti, Karatu and Thika, alongside talent academies in Kimuchu and Kanjeru, with another proposed in Kikuyu.
Local leaders, led by Deputy Governor Rosemary Kirika and Thika Town MP Alice Ng’ang’a, hailed the project as transformative, saying it will boost talent development and expand economic opportunities in the region.
