Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has heaped praise on the new Dandora Stadium for being able to host high risk matches in Nairobi.
Sakaja praised Dandora Stadium as a game changer and an added feather to Kenya’s high profile football matches which are classified as high risk and require extra surveillance noting that the Dandora Stadium has exhibited the ability to host such kind of matches without a hitch.
The City boss said these when he attended today Football Kenya Federation Premier League match pitting AFC Leopards match against FC Talanta at Dandora Stadium.
The Stadium, in Embakasi North was constructed by the Nairobi City County under the leadership of Sakaja after the project had stalled during the previous regime.
“Today we are here watching AFC Leopards play with FC Talanta at Dandora Stadium. There was also another match today because we had a double header pitting Tusker and Muranga Seals. I am satisfied and officials at FKF too are happy that this facility is able to host high risk matches without a problem,” Sakaja said.
Sakaja officially opened the stadium in April this year and the facility has gone ahead to host major FKF Premier league matches key among them the AFC Leopards versus Bandari FC league match that saw fans throng the stadium to capacity and leave Dandora without any incidences.
“AFC leopards have found a new Home at Dandora which will now act as their alternative ground. The premier league giants have won all their matches that they have played at the venue and from our assessment, this stadium can host any match. As a County Government, we are happy to have completed this stadium and offered our teams a venue to play,” Sakaja noted.
The stadium has also hosted Mozzartbet cup matches, FKF women premier league and Women’s cup matches, National Super League matches among other high risk matches. As well, the Kenya National women’s u17 team also uses the ground for training.
Sakaja noted that the stadium has made it possible for matches to be played during the heavy rains season since it was the only playable stadium in Nairobi during the heavy rains.
Other premier league teams that are currently using Dandora stadium are Tusker, Nairobi City Stars, Sofapaka, Posta Rangers, FC Talanta and Kariobangi Sharks.
Even as Governor Sakaja’s administration continues to work on constructing other sports facilities in Nairobi, Dandora Stadium in a short time have proved be worth the investment.
“Teams in Nairobi had a lot of problems because we are facing an acute shortage of stadiums to host league matches. The construction of Dandora stadium came at the right time and we as football administers and stakeholders laud the county government of Nairobi for completing this stadium. Now that we have heavy rains, Dandora stadium has been of great help,” said Kenn Okaka, the communication head at FKF.
Contrary to other leaders who fail to complete projects left incomplete by their predecessors for political reasons, Sakaja found work stalled on the stadium following allegations of corruption and chose to complete the construction works.
The Sh 276 million Dandora stadium was completed and opened to the public after delays and controversy that delayed the completion of construction works in the stadium for the past six years.
The 4,000 sitting capacity whose construction started in 2018 had stalled in 2019. The stadium features a perimeter wall and a play pitch equipped with an artificial turf with football field fixtures and utility rooms constructed to international standards. There are also floodlights and a storm water drainage making it ideal for use during this heavy rainfall season.
Sakaja said the new stadium is helping in improving the sports talent within the county and provides a new opportunity for the youth to grow their talent.
The construction of the stadium was commissioned by former Nairobi governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko in 2018. In 2019, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) halted the construction works in the stadium following claims over the use of substandard materials in the construction works in the stadium.
The Senates’ Labour and Social Welfare Committee headed by the current governor Johnson Sakaja also opened a probe following claims that the contractor opted to use steel instead of concrete in different sections within the stadium.
A number of Nairobi County government officials were also grilled over the construction of the project. They were accused of colluding with the contractor to deliver poor quality works and irregular payments running into millions of shillings.
Construction works resumed in the stadium in January 2023 following the intervention of the county governor.