Utalli grounds unsuitable to host matches

Utalii grounds has been banned from hosting Football Kenya Federation premier league matches due to its lack of a perimeter fence which poses a risk to the safety and security of players and game officials.

According to the communication by FKF caretaker committee head of Secretariat Linda Ogutu, clubs have been advised to reschedule matches slotted to be played there to other venues.

Utalii is one of the five stadiums in Nairobi that the teams participating in local top tier had an option of choosing from for their home matches.

Others are Nyayo stadium, Ruaraka Grounds, Kasarani Stadium, Kasarani Annex, and by extension Thika Stadium if all the five are not available.

Last year,Confederation of African Football (CAF) banned Kenya’s two main stadiums, Kasarani and Nyayo, from hosting international matches.

This is after both stadiums were subjected to an intense inspection exercise prior the FIFA 2022 World Cup qualifiers but failed to meet the required standards.

Caf report established that some areas of the Kasarani failed to meet some basic criteria like adequate floodlights for night games, substandard referee dressing rooms and a below-par facility committed to first aid in addition to lack of a modern media center.

Nyayo Stadium on the other hand, which has undergone millions-worth of upgrades recently, was handed a temporary reprieve after the continental body allowed the staging of two games in the stadium.

The ruling Jubilee administration has been under scathing attack by Kenyans, more so on social media, over the unmet stadia promise.

In 2013, the current regime courted young voters with promise of stadiums to help them hone talent, but with a few months to an end of its second term, the pace is worrying.

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