Chinese construction company behind SGR, Expressway to build Talanta stadium
A Chinese company behind the construction of the construction of the 472 km-long Nairobi-Mombasa Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), the Nairobi Expressway has secured the contract to construct the 60,000-seater Talanta Stadium in Nairobi Kenya.
China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and is headquartered in Beijing, stands as one of the largest subsidiaries of the Fortune Global 500 company, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) has been tasked to complete the new stadium within the next 20 months, as part of the preparations for the 2027 African Cup of Nations.
It has been selected as the contractor for the engineering, procurement, and construction of the Talanta Stadium.
Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Youth and Arts Ababu Namwamba handed over the management of the construction of the new stadium to the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) in September last year.
President William Ruto while officiating the groundbreaking ceremony called for diligence in the construction of the Talanta Sports Stadium at the Jamhuri Grounds along Ngong Road, Nairobi.
The 60,000-capacity stadium will be one of the host venues earmarked for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The President said he expected nothing less than perfect workmanship on the project and said he would personally inspect it.
“I have agreed with the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Defence that this stadium will be built to world class standards with military discipline. I will therefore expect our defence team – Aden Duale and the CDF – to ensure that all the timelines we have agreed are met by the contractor. I also expect that there will be weekly and bi-weekly supervision and I will be here myself every three months until this facility is completed,” the President said.
The project is set to be completed in record less than two years and is customized to be the only football design tailored for soccer, rugby and elite concerts.
It is the first-ever new facility to be constructed in the country in decades after Nyayo and Kasarani.
Kasarani stadium was also built by the Chinese.
The president directed Defence CS Aden Duale and Chief of Defences Forces Francis Ogolla to ensure there is weekly supervision in the construction of the Talanta Sports City, in Nairobi.
Speaking during the event, Ruto said that he expects all timelines set to be met as agreed.
He said the Ministry of Defence must also ensure that the stadium is built with world-class discipline.
Ruto added that while the Defence ministry will be doing weekly supervisions, he will personally supervise the progress achieved every three months.
“I have agreed with the ministries, and that is why the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Defence are also represented here because we want this stadium to be built to world-class standard using military discipline,” he said.
“I will expect our defence team, Aden Duale, the CDF and the team to make sure all the timelines we have agreed are kept by the contractor and I expect that there will be supervision every week, every two weeks and I will be here myself every three months until this facility is completed.”
On his part, Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba who spoke said that the project is of a unique design that oozes a distinct Kenyan flavour, curated to reflect the best of Kenyan culture.
“We have spent six months of intense work behind the scenes to conceive and curate what promises to be an iconic landmark,” he said.
“It is a compact edifice curated to accentuate electric passionate atmosphere that will always hand Kenya teams that crucial 12-man advantage for every home game.”
The project was approved in October 2023 with the personnel from the KDF who are already on-site at Kasarani, set to deploy for the works.
Unlike the rest of the stadiums in the country, Talanta Sports City’s design will be a compact layout aimed at enhancing the electric atmosphere, providing Kenyan teams with a distinct advantage in every home game.
The facility is aligned with the green agenda, incorporating renewable energy solutions to minimize its environmental impact.
The sports complex is also set to feature state-of-the-art technology, including top-level TV broadcast capabilities, VAR, and goal-line technology, placing it on par with the world’s leading sporting venues.
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