Kenya Insights

Tag: Stadium

  • ‪Manchester United Unveil Plans For 100,000-Seater Stadium – The Biggest In The Country‬

    ‪Manchester United Unveil Plans For 100,000-Seater Stadium – The Biggest In The Country‬

    Manchester United have unveiled plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium – the biggest in the country.

    Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been vocal about his desire for a new, state-of-the-art ground ever since he purchased almost 30% of the club in February last year.

    United were previously examining whether to redevelop the historic Old Trafford but have now said they will build an entirely new stadium – next to the old one.

    A conceptual image of what the new Manchester United stadium could look like. Pic: Foster + Partners/PA
    Old Trafford stadium. File pic: Reuters

    The planned stadium would become the largest in the UK – overtaking Wembley Stadium, which has a capacity of 90,000.

    The project, undertaken in conjunction with a government regeneration task force chaired by Lord Sebastian Coe, has been developed by Foster + Partners.

    It will replace one of the world’s most iconic football stadiums and redevelop the surrounding area.

    During the announcement, Sir Jim said the ground would be the “world’s greatest” football stadium.

    He added the new stadium would be built “next to the existing site”.

    In a press release, United said the project could bring billions of pounds to the UK economy, create as many as 92,000 jobs and more than 17,000 new homes.

    The stadium is estimated to cost £2bn and Omar Berrada, United chief executive, said he was confident they could attract investors.

    Lord Norman Foster, founder of Foster + Partners, said the stadium would only take five years to build as it would utilise prefabrication.

    Pic: Foster + Partners/PA

    Offering further details about the stadium plans, Lord Norman said: “The stadium is contained by a vast umbrella, harvesting energy and rainwater, and sheltering a new public plaza that is twice the size of Trafalgar Square.”

    However, when he was asked about a timeline, Sir Jim said it would also depend on the government’s regeneration efforts as well.

    Leadership figures involved in the new stadium also stressed its wider benefits for the local area and its economy, as well as the wider North West.

    “If we get this right, the regeneration impact could be bigger and better than London 2012,” Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, said.

    While senior figures at United have been trying to sound upbeat about the club’s future, the men’s team has struggled on the pitch this season, languishing in the bottom half of the table.

    Alongside that, under Sir Jim’s stewardship, there have been rounds of redundancies and cost-cutting measures.

    On the evening before the stadium announcement, the British billionaire spoke in a round of interviews in which he tried to justify his actions so far and talk up the club’s future.

    However, he also described some of his players as “not good enough” and admitted some were likely overpaid.

    While Sir Jim has been the face of the club’s cost-cutting approach, majority owners the Glazers are widely blamed for the malaise and the debt, with many fans accusing them of draining the club of its resources for personal gain since taking it over in 2005 and protesting against them.

    (Sky News)

  • Governor Awiti In Hot Soup Over Stalled Sh360 Million Homa Bay Stadium Project

    Governor Awiti In Hot Soup Over Stalled Sh360 Million Homa Bay Stadium Project

    In 2014, HomaBay County set aside a budget of sh200 million to construct a much-hyped ultra-modern 9,000-capacity Homa Bay Stadium that, was supposed to be build from scratch. 5 years ago, After a groundbreaking ceremony, the only thing to show for the project a dormant dirt-stinging, iron sheet fenced area filled with craters created by excavation machines.

    According to the Homa Bay County’s executive for sports, Fredrick Odero, in the financial year 2014-2015 the devolved unit set aside Sh200m for the project that would occupy about 4.5 acres. Another Sh160m was allocated for the stadium construction this financial year.

    The retired Auditor General Edward Ouko in January released a report revealing that one of the contractors was paid despite not completing work contracted to do. The contractor, Manjano Enterprises Limited, was to build a perimeter wall and related works for the stadium at a cost of Sh28million.

    However, the firm was paid Sh5million but failed to complete the work, and in fact, they moved away from the site.

    “The contractor had erected columns (pillars) covering half of the stadium’s perimeter only but thereafter abandoned the site,” indicated the report.

    The construction works resumed on July 5 this year with authorities in the region saying that the project will now be finalized in the next one and a half years.

    “We hope that work on this facility that resumed about two months ago and is estimated to take one and half years to complete will proceed well amid the teething problems raised by National Environment Management Authority (Nema). We are determined to ensure that work on this project is not interfered with or delayed,” said Odero.

    Our background checks revealed that the project had been initially stopped by NEMA for failing to meet the set standards and comply with the regulations set by the environment management agency.

    The main contractor, Six-Eleven Energy Limited, has only carried out site clearance, construction of office store and demolition of the existing structures. Even the iron sheet perimeter wall is half complete.

    According to the county officials, the stadium will be oval-shaped with two wings – north and south. Each wing has a 2,000 capacity stand alongside a VIP pavilion with a capacity of 3,000, terrace with 2,000 people. The playing surface was to have an artificial carpet.

    Other features are an eight lanes tartan track, modern changing rooms and underground offices. However, no artistic impression or the project blueprint of the sports structure is available for perusal raising a red flag.

    In their defense, the Homa Bay county government has however announced that it will only concentrate on the main stadium before considering constructing the other facilities. Odero hinted that they will seek financial help from the private sector and the national government after completion of phase one which will involve putting up of the main pavilion and the artificial turf.

    “We will finalize phase one and later use it as a display to ask for assistance from potential well-wishers as the funds we have are not enough. We will not start any other project until this one has been finalized. However, we have long term plans to construct three other sports facilities at the sub-county level,” said the county’s director for sports Francis Guma.

    The region comprises eight sub-counties which have been clustered into three regions where other stadiums will be constructed according to Guma.

    “By 2022, we hope we will be able to improve the other three facilities which I cannot refer to as stadiums but medium-size sub-county sports facilities,” he said.

    No sports facility in Homa Bay meets the minimum requirement laid down the Kenyan Premier League to host its fixtures.

    Construction work at Homa Bay Stadium remains the key pillar not only to the development but also supporting and uplifting the sports culture in the lakeside county that majority of the youths suffer in absolute poverty.