Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has defended his administration against accusations of stalling refurbishment of Mombasa Stadium.
The stadium, which was closed in 2015, is yet to undergo renovation despite being allocated more than Sh1.7 billion over the years.
On Tuesday, during ‘Occupy Mombasa Stadium’ protest organised by Haki Africa, Nassir said he is looking for ways to finish renovations.
“Refurbishment of the stadium was conceptualised in 2019 and it was projected to cost close to Sh1.8 billion. However, Covid 19 saw county’s own-source revenue drop,” Nassir said.
He said equitable share allocated by Commission for Revenue Allocation saw Mombasa lose close to Sh2 billion annually, meaning there was no money to continue with the stadium’s refurbishment.
Nassir called for patience saying he is working on innovative ways to raise finances for the project.
“Raising a billion shillings is not a walk in the park. For as long as I will not be overtaxing you, it is up to me to know where the funds will come from,” he said.
The governor said work on the ground has reached 80 per cent.
“The good thing is that the auditor general and the public works department have not differed on the amount of money spent so far,” Nassir said.
“This is the reason we have to do the right thing. I want to leave a legacy.”
“I am not a coward. I would rather face you and tell you the truth. Even as works continue, you still have my blessings to picket here every day, so long as you don’t interfere with work,” Nassir said.
He said there are investors who have approached him to finance the project.
“Allow me to talk to these people and figure out how we can finish the stadium,” Nassir said.
