Kenyan President William Ruto participates in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Talanta Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya, on 1 March (XINHUA)

World 800-metre race record holder David Rudisha is a happy man. The Kenyan track superstar has watched as his country invested heavily in sports infrastructure over the last two years, which augurs well for the wealth of athletic and other sports talent the country has to offer. 

The back-to-back Olympic champion in the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics, who’s 800-metre record of 1:40.91 has never been beaten, said the ongoing construction of new stadiums will boost athletics performance, and he is particularly excited about the construction of a state-of-the-art stadium in Nairobi, remaining a strong advocate for the welfare of athletes in the country. 

Mega venue 

The construction of Africa’s third largest stadium, with a seating capacity of 88,000, began this March and it is to be officially named Talanta Stadium. Talanta means talent in Swahili. The construction project is being undertaken by the China Road and Bridge Corp. under contract by the Chinese company and the Kenyan government, on government land covering a total of 800 acres (323.7 hectares). 

Only FNB Stadium in South Africa, with a seating capacity of 94,736, and Borg el Arab Stadium in Egypt, with a 90,000 seating capacity, will be bigger.  

“It is good the country is investing in sports. We have a sports culture that is globally acclaimed. This is especially true in athletics. I myself, I am a double Olympics champion in the 800 metres and have also won many global championships in other athletics events. The building of this new stadium is much welcome and [long] overdue,” said Rudisha.  

According to Ababu Namwamba, Kenya’s cabinet secretary for youth affairs, creative economy and sports, the stadium is being built in preparation for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, but aims to be completed by December next year or early January 2026. 

He also confirmed that contrary to other media reports, Talanta will accommodate 88,000 seats. 

“Kenya will host the next series of Africa’s largest [football] tournament. It will be jointly hosted with East African Community members of Uganda and Tanzania. We also plan to build an additional four smaller stadia in coming months in different parts of the country. Chinese contractors have also been allocated this duty,” said Namwamba, who added that the [Talanta] site is located in Jamhuri Park, a distance of 8.5 km from downtown Nairobi. 

Apart from the main stadium, the complex will house a gymnasium, Olympic size swimming pool, tennis court, basketball court, indoor athletics arena, and other facilities. 

Photo taken on 1 March shows the construction site of the Talanta Stadium, in Nairobi, Kenya (XINHUA) 

Multi-functional facility 

Currently the largest stadium in Kenya is Moi International Sports Centre with a seating capacity of 60,000. The facility was built in the mid-1980s when Kenya last hosted the All-Africa Games in 1987.  

Namwamba said the new facility will be a five-star stadium. He explained that it is not only being built for soccer, but for other sporting codes in future years.  

“We are building the Talanta Stadium not just for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament. It will also be used for other sporting events such as basketball, swimming, volleyball, athletics and others,” said Namwamba, who revealed the cost of the stadium is close to $300 million. “It will be a complete international facility. The main stadium will comprise an area of 110 acres (44.5 hectares).” But estimates may change as costs of construction material increase or decrease based on market factors.  

“We plan to build three more similar stadia in future as part of the government agenda on improving sports infrastructure,” added Namwamba.  

He noted that apart from accommodating large numbers of people, it will also be one of the most unique in the continent when fully operational, ranking alongside the Moses Mabhida Stadium in South Africa and the Harare National Stadium in Zimbabwe.  

According to records from Kenya’s Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing, and Urban Development, there are also plans to upgrade the country’s second largest stadium Moi International Sports Centre, which also sits on almost 800 acres, but only a small portion of this 60,000-seater stadium is in use.  

“The stadium needs an upgrade for sure and we will begin working on that in two months’ time as we avail some funds. We have already identified and chosen a Chinese contractor for the upgrade,” said Namwamba.  

Another smaller facility Nyayo National Stadium, which has a seating capacity of 30,000, is currently undergoing an upgrade, according to Namwamba. These other stadia will each have a seating capacity of between 40,000 to 60,000 and construction will be scheduled almost immediately after the annual financial year in July. 

“We are building according to [the requirement of] the FIFA. There has been a [funds] allocation for the remaining construction but that will wait until 1 July,” said Namwamba, who added that the country wanted to improve its performance in other sports, apart from athletics, by having quality infrastructure in place. 

Stamp of approval 

Kenyan President William Ruto, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony in March, said the transformative project aims to redefine Kenya’s sporting profile. According to Ruto, the country’s military would ensure regular supervision of the stadium’s construction, and he insisted that all timelines will be met. 

On the ground, Joseph Orzo, football coach at Dagoretti Mixed Secondary School, along with his young team are equally delighted that the new stadium construction is underway. 

“Building the stadium is a great idea to harness the talents of the kids and provide more opportunities for talented players to grow,” said Orzo. 

Namwamba stressed the stadium’s integration of Kenyan cultural elements and its commitment to renewable energy, reiterating its multi-functionality by saying it will be used for football, rugby, concerts and various other events.  

Meanwhile Jiao Xuxue, deputy general manager of China Road and Bridge Corp. Kenya Head Office, said that the stadium will serve as a key venue for public leisure, fitness and various cultural and recreational activities upon completion. Additionally, it will meet the requirements for hosting comprehensive and specialised sports events, providing sustained support for the development of the local entertainment and recreation industry.