Deputy President William Ruto led the commitment that President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration was to build the sports facilities.
Jubilee promised that Kamariny, Wote, Chuka, Moyale, Eldoret, Karatu, and Ruringu stadiums would be completed within six months.
But six years later, the ambitious projects are yet to take shape with mounds of soil and debris heaping at the sites where the complexes were to stand.
So far, Sh730 million taxpayers' money has gone into the works, which have largely stalled with no clarity of when they'd resume.
A new audit of Sports Kenya – an agency in the Sports ministry, has revealed the sorry situation of the promised stadia in what may bury the hopes of the country’s sportsmen and sportswomen.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu said taxpayers may have lost or not obtained value for money in the ambitious projects, some of which contractors have abandoned, escalating costs.
In Kamariny, the inspection revealed that the contractor was not on site and works stalled at the preliminary level due to some dispute. The stadium was to cost Sh287 million.
Gathungu said no reasons were given for the failure by Sports Kenya to settle the dispute or terminate the contract which previous reports showed had gobbled Sh160 million.
However, in the latest review signed on May 20, the auditor said an examination of payment vouchers showed that the contractor had been paid Sh81 million.
She reported that Sports Kenya only verbally explained that the works were 30 per cent complete, a sharp contrast to the findings during the ground inspection.
French drains, installation of irrigation system, hard parking, excavation works for the main pavilion, and internal pitch drainage had not been done.
“The value for money has not been realised in this project and the delay in completion of this project may result in cost overruns,” Gathungu said in a report tabled in Parliament recently.
The auditor said the same was the case of Wote Stadium where a contractor has been paid over Sh113 million for the works which were to be concluded by December 2021.
At the time of the audit, the stadium was 40 per cent complete with a number of significant works pending, delays which were attributed to a change of site by the Makueni county government.
Gathungu says even after the relocation, the dam may end up being a white elephant. A consultant at the project cited poor soil conditions as defeating the idea.
“There are risks the stadium may not meet international standards and as such, it may not be suitable for the purpose for which the project was intended, a clear indication feasibility study was not conducted,” the auditor said.
Gathungu also flagged delays in the Sh259 million Karatu Ndarugu stadium in Kiambu which was to be fitted with a 6-lane track, VIP pavilion, parking, and ablution blocks, and perimeter wall.
“The pavilion was incomplete, no work done on the pitch, the perimeter wall had caved in on the eastern side of the stadium, and there were overgrown thickets on the car park,” the auditor said.
Gathungu said value for money was equally not realised in the project and that the delayed completion was a recipe for additional costs.
In Meru, the auditor flagged an extra Sh298 million paid to the contractor building the Kinoru stadium, which is nearly complete though not commissioned.
While the project was to cost Sh442 million for the tartan track, VIP pavilion, water system, ablution blocks, terraces, parking and perimeter wall, the contractor was paid Sh740 million.
Gathungu said taxpayers also did not realize value for money in the delayed completion of Kirubua Stadium in Tharaka Nithi county.
Works commenced in January 2017 and were expected to be completed in September of the same year, but were later revised to May 2018.
The auditor said that while substantial progress had been made at 85 per cent, it was not clear why the remaining works had not been concluded by the end of the May 2018 extension.
A similar scenario has played out in Sh288 million Nyeri’s Ruringu Stadium which is also yet to be complete.
“It was not possible to determine whether the contractor was working within the contract period as the supervision team did not provide any records citing Covid-19 challenges.”
Delays in construction work at Nyayo Stadium have also been flagged with the auditor casting doubt on an unexplained variance of Sh52 million in the project.
The auditor said management failed to explain why the contractor is yet to lay tartan on the pitch in the project which has already consumed Sh666 million in taxpayers' cash.
“No proper explanation has been given as to why the building and civil works at the Nyayo National Stadium have not been completed and the delays are likely to lead to cost escalation,” Gathungu said.
The contractor put up a running track at the Kasarani Sports Complex and Kenyatta University Sports Field was also found to have abandoned the site.
Sports Kenya is also in trouble for failing to complete the construction of Moi Stadium in Kisumu county. Gathungu said the management was yet to install floodlights at the pitch.
“At the time of field inspection, the installation of bulbs was yet to be done and the project had stalled. The delay in completion of the works within the stipulated period is likely to lead to an escalation of the total cost of the project,” Gathungu said.
Ruto has been on the receiving end amid scathing criticism by his rivals in the Uhuru Kenyatta succession race over the unmet stadia promises.
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