The National Olympic Committee of Kenya is committed to completing the OlympAfrica Multipurpose International Centre that it planned to build last year.
NOCK officials disclosed this after visiting Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja in his office at City Hall. According to the MOU signed by NOCK and the previous county administration, the OlympAfrica Centre will be built in Ruai to promote sports in Nairobi.
The centre, the first of its kind in Kenya, will have a multi-purpose indoor gymnasium for sports and educational activities.
Apart from an athletics track, it will also have a football field, swimming pool, and restaurant as well as courts for volleyball, basketball, handball, and tennis.
Additionally, it will have a hostel, a health centre and spectator stands. OlympAfrica has allocated Sh38 million (USD 350,000) to finance the project.
The main goal of the program is to provide a platform to nurture disadvantaged youth and promote social development through sports. The centres have been opened and are working in 37 African countries.
NOCK deputy president Waithaka Kioni praised the county governments for their important role in developing sports at the local level. He said the projects can stimulate the social and economic development of the community.
"I believe in a good future for our athletes and youth in Nairobi when we give them opportunities and platforms to showcase their talents. This project will reduce social evils including criminal activities that have become rampant in the city," Kioni said.
Kioni said Nairobi once had a large number of social halls for local sports activities where young people would gather to train and play tournaments.
"This provided a good foundation for talent recognition while at the same time creating positive values of teamwork, cooperation, and commitment to cause-related initiatives."
Governor Sakaja praised the continuous efforts of NOCK to complement the county's efforts in establishing important sports infrastructure. "We are fully behind the OlympAfrica program. NOCK should identify partners who will fully commit to funding the project to ensure it is successful and timely for the beneficiaries," Sakaja said.
"The government has already identified various facilities to be developed and completed to the highest standards and Nairobi remains in a better position than other countries in the region as the best for sports."
NOCK secretary general, Francis Mutuku, requested the Nairobi County government to avail more sports infrastructure to city residents.
“The county government has provided us with a parcel of land where we intend to put a sports complex for the youth within the Ruai community in conjunction with the continental Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA),” he said.
Nairobi County deputy governor James Njoroge lauded the partnership.
