Despite recent touch-ups by the Nakuru County government, Molo Stadium is still dilapidated state and without a running track.
It is only designed with a football and a volleyball pitch in place for use by the residents of the densely-populated trading centre.
Besides, the stadium does not have changing rooms for players who are left to devise ways of changing into game kits before and after matches and athletics competitions.
To change into playing kit, players normally form a human shield in one corner of the stadium, and take turns changing during tournaments.
Dilapidated public toilets stand one end of the stadium next to a side entrance, but they are not usable because they are clogged and do not have running water.
The stadium has another block of public toilets which was constructed by the county government but one has to get outside the playgrounds to use the toilets at a fee payable to an agent authorised to operate it.
A dilapidated toilet at Molo Stadium in Nakuru county with no running water, in this photo taken on April 4, 2023.
Heaps of non-collected garbage lie outside the perimeter wall of the stadium, and there are no litter bins at the entrance of the stadium.
Inside the stadium, goats graze freely on the playing field during the day, and idlers occasionally take a nap in the field, which was previously a favourite spot for thugs before the recent upgrade of the facility by the department of sports at Nakuru County.
The football pitch is marked with two metallic goal posts, a sign of popularity of the sport among the residents of Molo town located close to the Mau Forest complex.
The volleyball pitch is the most utilized facility in the stadium with a lot of activities recorded on weekends, especially on Sunday afternoons as the residents engage in various competitions and training sessions.
Molo town, which stands at 2,506 metres above sea level, has a population of 156,732 people as per the data captured during the 2019 Kenya National Census.
The main gate at the stadium was recently refurbished by the county government. The perimeter wall was reinforced and public toilets constructed.
A woman freeing a goat that was entangled in a torn goal post net at Molo Stadium in Nakuru County in this photo taken on April, 4, 2023.
“It is important that the county government of Nakuru sets aside funds to upgrade the stadium and puts in place all the required amenities to promote sports and tap talents among the youth in the region,” James Bii, the Athletics Kenya Nakuru County branch secretary told Nation Sport.
The stadium lacks safety preparedness. Should chaos erupt, it would be a nightmare for security officers to control the crowd and restore order.
It is located smack in the middle of Molo town. The main gate is small and only allows in one car at a time. A side entrance and exit that leads to the toilets outside the facility is squeezed and allows only one person through it at any given time.
An emergency exit has not been factored into the construction and there is no pavilion for use by spectators, match officials and competing teams.
Bii said Molo Sub-county does not have a running track for athletics competitions. These are usually held in playgrounds in local schools.
“Athletes train in Afraha Stadium in Nakuru, Keringet and Olenguruone in neighbouring constituencies, inhibiting efforts to popularize athletics among the youth,” Bii said.
Gabriel Njeru, the Athletics Kenya Molo Sub-county branch chairman said former Governor Lee Kinyanjui’s administration did not involve AK officials in the upgrade of the stadium, leading to omission of key amenities.
He said for the last 18 years all sports activities had been relegated to the back bench in the region with wasted talents.
“We are hopeful that Governor Susan Kihika will involve all stakeholders in upgrading the stadium for use by the youth. The problem has been that politicians have usurped roles of technical people in sports, thus the chaotic situation that has been witnessed in the docket with no clear agenda for development,” Njeru said.
Athletics competitions in Molo are usually held in Njenga Karume and Molo secondary schools, while private farm lands, particularly in Sirikwa, are often used during cross country competition in the Molo Sub-county, according to Njeru.
“It is worse when it comes to 3,000 metres steeplechase competitions as athletes have to travel all the way to Afraha Stadium in Nakuru to access the facilities. It is not only far and inconvenient, but also expensive,” Njeru said.
Upgrading of the stadium would also come in handy for the residents of the neighbouring Kuresoi North Constituency as there is no other facility in the area for use by athletes.
Peter Mutai, a resident, said youth in the area pinned a lot of hopes on the county government to turn around the state of sports facilities in the region so as to nurture talents and promote sports tourism.
He said the area was teeming with talents, but the youth lacked training facilities and guidance. BY DAILY NATION