The ongoing upgrade of Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega is rekindling hopes among athletes, footballers and coaches in Western Kenya, with the facility expected to provide a modern platform for sports development and stimulate economic activity in the region.
Coaches and athletes say the transformation of the stadium is addressing some of the challenges that have for years limited the growth of sports talent in Western Kenya, including poor playing surfaces, inadequate seating and a lack of proper facilities for training and competition.
Gilbert Coach, a football coach in the region, recalls a time when Mumias had one of the best football surfaces in Western Kenya. However, he says the facility later deteriorated, contributing to the decline of football in the area.
With players forced to use open and poorly equipped grounds, Coach says young talent became harder to identify.
He says the lack of enclosed grounds also exposed spectators to safety concerns while making it difficult for scouts and other talent hunters to identify promising players.
He believes the investment in Bukhungu Stadium could help reverse that trend by providing footballers with a proper facility where they can showcase their abilities.
Athletics coach Frank Omondi, a Kenya Prisons officer, says Bukhungu has undergone a major transformation since 2015, when the stadium had trees, potholes and lacked the infrastructure expected of a modern sporting facility.
According to Omondi, the stadium now has facilities supporting athletics training, football and other sporting activities, allowing athletes to train from morning to evening.
“This facility is going to help us nurture talent because athletes now have somewhere to train properly,” he says.
Omondi says the investment has restored pride in Western Kenya because Bukhungu is expected to serve more than football.
He says improved seating, an enclosed ground and better infrastructure will enable fans to pay to watch quality matches while giving athletes better conditions to train and compete.
The stadium is also expected to benefit businesses around the facility as spectators, teams, athletes and visitors spend money on food, transport and other services.
Omondi praised the national government and President William Ruto for investing in the facility, saying the stadium belongs to the people of Western Kenya and should be fully utilised once completed.
Luke, who has been following the construction, says the ongoing works have already created optimism among residents.
He says workers remain on site and construction is progressing, raising hopes that Kakamega will soon have a facility capable of hosting major sporting events.
Once completed to the required standard, he says, Bukhungu Stadium could create new opportunities for residents, particularly young people, while strengthening Kakamega’s position as a sporting and commercial centre.
Before the upgrade, Luke says the stadium had limited seating, leaving spectators exposed to the sun, while players and officials also had to contend with inadequate facilities.
For athletes, the transformation is particularly significant.
Grace Akinyi Omondi, who competes in the 400 metres, 4×400 relay and occasionally the 4×100 relay, says athletes need a proper stadium not only to train but also to compete and gain visibility.
She says physical exercises can be done in different locations, but athletes ultimately require a standard stadium where they can participate in competitions and develop their careers.
Grace says the ongoing construction has generated excitement among athletes because the completed facility is expected to support athletics alongside football and other sports.
She says a modern stadium will also help mentor young athletes and provide them with a better chance of developing and showcasing their talent.
“When a stadium is not in good condition, athletes are affected and competitions become difficult,” she says, adding that even talented athletes can struggle to gain recognition when proper competition facilities are unavailable.
Athlete Felisters Mukhule from Kakamega says she is encouraged by the progress at Bukhungu and is happy to see the field taking shape.
She says football teams from other counties are already visiting Kakamega and appreciating the improvements at the stadium.
Felisters expects more athletes and teams from across the country to use the facility once the works are completed.
She points to Nairobi’s Ulinzi Complex as an example of a well-developed sporting facility and hopes Bukhungu will reach a similar standard, attracting athletes to Kakamega for training and competitions.
Felisters recalls the difficulties athletes faced before the upgrade, when potholes, uneven sections and mud made running dangerous, particularly during rainy weather.
She says athletes could fall, fail to complete races or suffer injuries because of the poor condition of the field.
Kakamega resident Duncan Lando says the ongoing works are already making training easier for athletes.
He says the running track has improved significantly from the past, when mud made it difficult to train, while improved drainage now prevents water from stagnating on the track during rainy weather.
The football pitch has also improved, giving players a better playing surface and boosting their motivation.
Lando says the completed stadium could have a wider economic impact on Kakamega, as visitors attending matches and other events will create opportunities for local traders selling food and other goods.
He wants Bukhungu to be developed into an international-standard facility capable of attracting visitors from outside Kenya.
He says such a transformation would put Kakamega on the international sporting map while creating employment and business opportunities for local residents.
Lando, however, hopes construction will move faster so that the facility is completed and opened for full use as soon as possible.
With footballers, athletes and residents watching the works closely, Bukhungu Stadium is increasingly being viewed not just as a sporting facility, but as a potential catalyst for talent development, jobs, tourism and economic growth in Western Kenya.
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