Athletes have urged the government to complete the rehabilitation of Kamariny Stadium in Iten as soon as possible so that they can use it as a training facility.
Elgeyo Marakwet is the home of champions and a place where athletes from all over the world choose to practice, but there is no suitable infrastructure for training, according to Athletic Kenya (AK) Deputy President Paul Mutisya.
Mutisya, speaking in Iten, claimed that a lack of training facilities has put an end to the dreams of many aspiring athletes who cannot afford to go every day to the University of Eldoret in neighbouring Uasin Gishu county, the nearest publicly available training site.
"While elite athletes can afford to train in private facilities, it poses a hardship for rising athletes who must rely on public facilities," Mutisya explained.
Several athletes complained that they were not given an alternative facility to utilize when the restoration of Kamariny Stadium began.
The athletes stated that they were using the stadium before the renovations began, even though it was in need of repair, but that it is now utterly unplayable.
Sports Kenya planned to renovate the stadium at a cost of Sh287 million. The eight-month project began in February 2017 and included, among other things, the construction of a tartan track and a pavilion.
Coach Ken Kibet had requested the creation of a mud track so that training could continue while the construction was underway.
The stadium building contract, however, was terminated in January of this year due to a failure to reach the contract deadline, and a new contract has yet to be granted.
