Drastic boardroom decision leaves Bandari looking for new home as Mbaraki stadium faces closure

FKFPL: Drastic boardroom decision leaves Bandari looking for new home as Mbaraki stadium faces closure

Twiga • 11:03 - 05.07.2023

The FKF Premier League side will likely return to Mbaraki next year.

Success-starved FKF Premier League side Bandari are exploring alternative venues to host their league and cup matches next season after Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) decided to close Mbaraki Stadium indefinitely.

The KPA Management wants to tap into the growing athletics appetite in the country and coast region in particular by elevating the running track to international standards and proceeded to float several tenders back in April.

Mbaraki Stadium will soon have elevated status as the VIP seating area and lounge will equally get a major facelift. The end goal is to make Mbaraki an international sporting arena that can host FIFA-approved games and World Athletics-approved races.

“KPA have allocated Ksh300 million for this project and if there’s no monkey business that we saw with government stadiums across twelve counties in the last eight years then this one should provide good value for the money,” an excited source within KPA whispered to Twiga

Mbaraki will get a modern tartan track for athletics, the playing surface will be improved and the VIP stand should be something comparable to the likes of Nyayo Stadium if not better.

The tenders for these works were advertised back in April and attracted six bidders. Two of the bidders failed at the preliminary vetting stage leaving four. The four have been taken through rigorous technical evaluations by a six-man team appointed by KPA Managing Director.

KPA Container Terminal Engineering Manager Zaharani Bwengo is the chairman of the evaluation team with Athanase Wambari, Ben Chepkechir, Aza Dzengo, Leonard Gichuhi, and Abdirahman Hujale making up the rest of the team.

The four companies in the final tendering process remain mysterious but the work ought to begin in July with the contractors expected to leave the sight and commission the new-look stadium later in December or thereabouts.

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