President William Ruto, in February 2024, issued fresh deadline for the completion of Ruring’u Stadium in Nyeri Couny, saying the construction would be completed by the end of the year.
The President issued the fresh timelines during the launch of an affordable housing project in Nyeri town where he underscored the government’s commitment on ensuring the facility is opened for use.
At the same time, the head of state put the new contractor working on the 20,000-seater capacity facility on notice to either complete the pending construction works by December 2024 or face the axe.
“We’ve this stadium here and it has become an eyesore in Nyeri. We’ve undertaken to ensure the work at the facility is done by the end of this year.
“We’ve brought in a new contractor and I’ve warned him that the work must be done by December and if he will not manage we will have no other business with him than sacking him,” Ruto told Nyeri residents.
The President added that the completion of the facility would be a massive shot on the arm for the budding talents in the region.
“We’ve so many talents here in Nyeri and we want to grow them. We want our youth to churn out their talents and completion of this stadium would be a massive boost towards them realizing their potential in the space of sports.”
The facility, whose facelift was set to cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of money, was poised to be the biggest sporting facility in the Mount Kenya region.
Almost a year since the pledge and a Month since the Presidential completion Deadline, the unfinished facility has become an eyesore, standing abandoned with incomplete buildings.
The Pitch, already having used millions in taxpayers money, has transformed to a 'swimming pool' of dirty rain water, accumulated overtime due to negligence.
The stadium was commissioned by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta in June 2017, and was poised to be the biggest sporting facility in the Mount Kenya region. The facility was to feature a modern changing room, a sports shop, a restaurant, spectator terraces and a VIP terrace.
Initially, the project was supposed to be completed in December 2020 but has stalled several times owing to various reasons, including delayed payment to the initial contractor.
At the time of the commissioning, the uplift was to take place in two phases, with the first phase costing Sh230 million. According to the plan of works, in the first phase, the contractor was to lay down a tartan track, a football pitch, a changing room and a VIP dais.
During the second phase, a warm-up track, pay booths and indoor sports arenas were to be constructed at a cost of Sh220 million. In all, the upgrade was to cost the taxpayer Sh450 million.
Angry crowds in the Mt Kenya Region have recently expressed their frustration with President William Ruto over his government’s failure to curb the cost of living crisis and fulfill his campaign promises.
In a region that overwhelmingly voted for him in the August 2022 election, a hostile reception in Kiambu, Embu and Meru counties was the last thing President William Ruto expected at a rally.
On 26 January 2024, Ruto watched in disbelief as Kenyans who had campaigned for him less than two years ago heckled and shouted at him. He was addressing a rally in the eastern county of Meru when a rowdy crowd began to jeer at him, expressing their anger over the high cost of living.
Months later towards the end of the year, the head of state was booed in Embu County during a church event as he tried explaining the Affordable Housing Project and Social Health Authority (SHA) which has been marred by Outages.
The Rebellion has spread across Kiambu, Murang'a and Nyeri counties with the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua worsening things for the president as locals accuse the head of state of betrayal.
There is increased discontent with Ruto’s policies and the heckling shows that the president is losing touch with the people from the Mount Kenya region.
President Ruto, is seemingly avoiding the region concentrating in Western Kenya where he's being embraced following his support for Raila Odinga's AU Candidature.
However, a JULISHA Political analyst opines that the head of state has to go back to the drawing board and make peace with Residents in the vote-rich Mt Kenya region, to improve his re-election chances come 2027.
The Growing Discontent from the Citizenry, coupled with attacks from young Kenyans on Social Media, is turning to be a headache for the Kenya-Kwanza administration.
However, President William Ruto, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and their allies have exuded confidence in the Kenya-Kwanza administration, promising to fulfill their Promises. The President, argues that his administration spent the first two years in charge pulling Kenya from the 'pit' and has succeeded in laying a foundation for development, starting this year.