Kariobangi Sharks coach William Muluya has called on the Stadia Safety and Security Committee to move with speed and blacklist the bumpy Ruaraka grounds from hosting SportPesa Premier League matches.
The pitch, which serves as the home stadium to 11-time Kenyan champions Tusker, has been on the receiving end for its sorrowful state of the playing surface.
The venue also lacks stands despite Tusker’s financial muscles and Muluya wants it banned from hosting matches. The committee had marked the facility unfit for top-flight matches at the start of the season but gave it a clean bill of health following their second inspection tour after the East African Breweries Limited levelled the playing surface.
The committee banned the Camp Toyoyo grounds, Isibania, Thika Sub-County Stadium and the Chemelil Sports Complex which was later given the green light to host matches.
However, with National Super League and promoting chasing Ushuru hosting their home matches there and a number of beehive activities among them Tusker’s training sessions and friendly matches being played there in the evenings, the surface has been rendered bumpy posing danger to the players. While standards of pitches which host top-flight matches dictate that the playing surface should be level and covered by grass, Ruaraka is barely bare.
The youthful coach was speaking after their midweek match where they lost 3-1 to Tusker. He said the pitch had hindered them from executing their style of play. He, however, exonerated it from blame over Harrison Mwendwa’s injury after the winger fell awkwardly from Sydney Ochieng’s challenge.
“This pitch should have been banned like yesterday. It poses danger to the players and it’s a shame for the Kenyan football and the league. I do not blame it for the loss since Tusker also played there but we were disadvantaged.”
In January, Mathare United coach Francis Kimanzi termed the facility as a joke after their 2-1 win against Tusker and called upon the relevant authorities to close it for renovations.
