County–state deal hands Mombasa stadium construction to military

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There is light at the end of the tunnel for football lovers and sports stakeholders as renovation of the stalled Mombasa county stadium is now set to begin.

Sports PS Elijah Mwangi and his Defence counterpart Patrick Mariru on Wednesday met Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir to agree on the modalities of the renovation.

The military will oversee the stadium's reconstruction with works expected to be complete by December this year.

Football Kenya Federation Mombasa branch chairman Alamin Abdalla welcomed the move and lauded both the county and the national government for their cooperation.

“Football in Mombasa has to be revived. This stadium is not only iconic for Mombasa but also for the whole country,” Abdalla said.

One of the conditions put by the national government is that the county hands over the facility to the state.

After an agreement was reached between the national government and the county government, the county would hand over the project’s final accounts within a week to verify completed works and costs.

This paved the way for the Ministry of Sports to officially take over construction of the 15,000-seater Mombasa Municipal Stadium, now known as the Mombasa County Stadium.

Nassir said the breakthrough was after talks with President William Ruto, who agreed to pump in money for the renovation.

“This is a major breakthrough. This is a game changer. This is a historic win for Mombasa,” Nassir said.

“After years of planning, the stadium is now firmly back on track and set for completion by the end of the year. This agreement marks a turning point for our city and places Mombasa squarely back on the continental stage as Kenya prepares to host Africa Cup of Nations 2027,” Nassir said.

The governor toured the stadium alongside the two principal secretaries and officials from Sports Kenya.

Nassir said the county had been continuously engaging the contractor on site.

The whole basement for the whole stadium is ready, Nassir said, meaning the military, who will take over the construction will not start from zero.

“In Mombasa, this will be the biggest stadium. The others, which are in this side of the country and in the pipeline and are 10,000-seaters,” Mwangi said.

Nassir said in the spirit of cooperation and partnership, the county will finish all its liabilities with the contractor.

Mwangi said the final account for the stadium will be done within a week.

Mariru noted that a chunk of the work has been done, and that the military will start work at 30-40 per cent.

“In the next one week, there will be a final account to empirically establish where this work has reached,” Mariru said.

When this has been done, the Defence ministry will take over officially, and engage a contractor to come and finish the works.

“I can assure you, Governor and the people of Mombasa,. This stadium will be done under a year,” Mariru said.

The county government has set its eyes on AFCON 2027 which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Once complete, the stadium’s strategic location will position it as a strong alternative venue for AFCON 2027, with the Ministry set to propose it to CAF’s inspection team.

The facility will feature a FIFA-standard pitch, canopy, modern terraces, VIP pavilion, and other key amenities for hosting international tournaments.

“Beyond Afcon, this stadium will become a permanent home for talent, youth development, sports tourism, jobs, and big global events,” Nassir said.

Already, the county government has advertised tenders for the construction of the Mwahima Stadium in Likoni and the Ziwanin stadium in Mvita.

“We also ask to partner with the national government in the construction of the brand new Bububu Stadium in Likoni,” the governor said.

Once these are done, they will be used as training grounds for AFCON teams should the organisers agree to have some matches played in Mombasa.

Mariru said the Mombasa County Stadium, once completed, will not only be important for the county and the Coast region, but for the entire country.

“It is the only low altitude main stadium we have,” the PS said.

Mwangi said Mombasa, being a tourism hub, will be a major sports tourism attraction, which will be boosted by the access and infrastructure it has including the Mombasa port and the Moi International Airport.