Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has urged patience as the country labours to raise its sports facilities to the prescribed international standards.
The CS spoke during an assessment tour of the Masinde Muliro Kanduyi stadium which is being fixed up for Madaraka Day celebrations.
His statement comes in the wake of a deafening outcry across the nation contesting a contentious decision by Football Kenya to host Harambee Stars' matches outside the country.
The local football governing body announced Wednesday that Kenya would host its 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Burundi and Ivory Coast in Lilongwe, Malawi owing to a dearth of Fifa-approved playing surfaces in the country.
While acknowledging the unfolding frustration vented by local sports enthusiasts, Ababu ascribed the country's woes to decades of neglect in stadium management.
"The price we pay for 60 years of neglect is what we are seeing—our teams playing international games away from home because these stadia are undergoing major renovations to elevate them to the highest level of status," Ababu remarked.
"We must undergo temporary pain to fix this decades-long problem," he added. The CS assured the nation that the ongoing refurbishment would yield to the specified international standards.
He reiterated the government's commitment to bring Kenya's sports infrastructure up to international standards.
"Resources have been allocated, everything is on track, and we want to see international events hosted here," Ababu stated.
The chairperson of the Parliamentary Sports Committee Dan Wanyama said they would be behind the government's efforts by appropriating funds needed to complete the tasks.
"We are dedicated to supporting the ministry's efforts to ensure these vital renovations are finished on time and to the highest standards," Wanyama said.
Kenya has launched a furious push to construct high-quality stadiums ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations which it will host alongside neighbours Tanzania and Uganda in East Africa.
The government's closure of Moi Kasarani and Nyayo stadiums for redevelopment has compelled the FKF competition committee to find alternate locations for elite matches.
Several venues have been rendered unsuitable even as torrential rains continue to pound the country, leading to swampy pitches that constrain the seamless flow of balls during league matches.
Ababu stated that the country had resolved not to repeat the catastrophe that occurred in 2018 when Kenya was stripped of the Africa Nations Cup (CHAN) hosting rights for failing to provide standard sporting facilities within the time frame specified.
