Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has proposed privatizing and commercializing Kenya’s stadiums to reduce the financial burden on the government.
Speaking to the National Assembly this week, Murkomen addressed questions from MPs, stating that the government should not own stadiums. He pointed to the United Kingdom as an example, where private companies manage most stadiums, except for Wembley.
Murkomen argued that private ownership would make stadiums more profitable and self-sufficient.
He emphasized that Kenyan stadiums have not yet reached their full potential, as they currently depend on government funds for rehabilitation and maintenance. Murkomen suggested that private companies could introduce effective monetization strategies, allowing the facilities to generate income and ultimately saving taxpayers’ money.
“The government should not be owning stadia; that is my personal position,” Murkomen said. “All over the world, governments don’t own stadiums. It is costing the taxpayer a lot of money without enough return.”
He further explained, “If the private sector owned these facilities, they would commercialize them, making them available for sports activities. In countries like the UK, private companies own most stadiums, and this is the direction we should take.”
Murkomen also noted that continually investing billions of shillings into refurbishing stadiums every 10 years is unsustainable, especially when those facilities could have generated revenue under private management.
To address this issue, Murkomen informed MPs that his ministry is actively reviewing the sports policy. This review will guide how best to involve the private sector in building and maintaining stadiums.
“We are exploring partnerships with the private sector to construct modern sports infrastructure. The ongoing policy review will provide clarity on this approach,” Murkomen explained.
He reiterated that private sector involvement is key to the long-term sustainability of Kenya’s stadiums.
Murkomen shared these views while updating MPs on the status of various sports facilities in the country. He expressed frustration that many stadiums had stalled, while others had exceeded their agreed construction timelines.
Despite these challenges, the former Transport CS reassured MPs that Kenya will be ready to host the CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) from February 1 to February 28, 2025, as well as the AFCON 2027 tournament.
