After two years of stalemate, construction works at the Dandora Stadium have resumed.
This follows an intervention by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
According to Talents and Skills executive, Brian Mulama all works are expected to be completed in April.
“ The county has already finalised talks with the contractor, and work on the site has already begun. This stadium will be done within the next 45 days,” he said.
Mulama said the new stadium will be completed and ready for use in less than two months.
He said the contractor who had earlier been contracted by the county has resumed operations and will still complete the other stadiums.
“Sport is a key sector and the county government will ensure that we develop the right infrastructure for our youth to develop their talents and skills in sports which is a multi-billion industry globally,” Mulama said.
The Sh350 million Dandora Stadium was awarded to M/s Scanjet Construction Limited.
It was started during former governor Mike Sonko’s tenure.
It was among four stadiums that were to be constructed at Sh1.03 billion.
The other modern sports facilities include Bp Riruta Stadium (Dagoreti south), Kihumbuini (Westlands), Woodley (Kibra), and Umeme, Kariokor (Starehe).
The stadium should have been completed in July 2021, but work stopped when it was 80 per cent done.
The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority June 13, 2019, received a complaint that steel structures were being used in clear contravention of the contract specifications for the Dandora stadium.
It flagged irregularities in the awarding of the tender, alteration of contract specifications, suspected irregular payments and forgery of documents.
As a result, EACC started investigating alleged irregularities in the procurement process for the construction of the stadium in 2019.
In February 2021, Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta called upon the completion of the project and said the investigations should not hinder people's right to access and enjoy stadium facilities.
He emphasized that the culprits found guilty will face charges.
Former governor Sonko’s administration was accused of making Sh196.9 million in irregular payments to the contractor and irregular change of the contract name.
However, in 2021, the Senate Labour and Social Welfare committee which was then chaired by Sakaja (then Nairobi Senator) ordered the resumption of work at the stadium.
The Senate resolved to give the county government a go-ahead to complete this stadium, which is 65 per cent done.