Mombasa Municipal Stadium Construction Resumes After 13-Year Wait

Mombasa Municipal Stadium has returned to activity. Construction crews are back on the grounds after more than 13 years of inactivity.

The KSh1.7 billion project to deliver a modern venue had remained frozen since the original structure was demolished to make way for redevelopment. The coastal city lost one of its longstanding football landmarks during that period.

President William Ruto announced in February that the national government would take over and complete the stadium. Oversight now sits with the Ministry of Defence.

Work resumed earlier this week. On June 6, a delegation from the Football Kenya Federation Mombasa branch carried out an inspection. Chairman Alamin Ahmed Abdalla led the group across the site.

Only a small number of workers were visible during the visit. No military personnel appeared to be supervising operations on the day, despite the ministry’s role in the project.

Abdalla described the restart as welcome news for coastal football. He linked the timeline directly to next year’s Africa Cup of Nations, which Kenya will host.

“Next year, God willing, as Kenya we will host AFCON and it will be great if the stadium will be complete and give way for some countries to use it as their training ground. We hope the president’s promise that the stadium will be ready by December will stand.”

He also pointed to the economic effect on Mombasa’s hospitality sector once teams arrive.

“Mombasa City has the best five-star hotels Kenya can have, so economically if the stadium will be ready, Mombasa will be the epicenter for most teams and we will benefit.”

Abdalla added that the facility would lift standards for local players.

“The confidence of our players will go up. This is the first stadium in Kenya and once complete it will be a game changer.”

Former referee Evans Mwachia welcomed the return of work. He said the project would benefit everyone involved in the game along the coast.

“We are happy as stakeholders that the stadium construction has commenced from where it stalled. Once complete it will be a plus to players, referees and the whole community at large.”

Mwachia pressed for quicker progress through local recruitment.

“We are aware that the timeline for completion is December, so we call on the government to increase the manpower by giving our youths jobs to ease its construction.”

Coach Oliver Obango recalled the stadium’s earlier days when it hosted visiting sides from Nigeria and Tanzania. He sees wider social value in bringing the venue back.

“We used to witness international matches here, the likes of Nigeria and Tanzania. Once the stadium is complete, it will be a game changer for our youths who are affected by drug abuse due to a lack of motivational value.”

The long pause left Mombasa-based clubs and academies without a modern home ground of this scale. Training and match arrangements have worked around the gap for more than a decade.

The inspection tour gave officials a direct look at current conditions. They could see both the areas left untouched since the demolition and the fresh activity that has now started.

With the December deadline in place, attention now turns to how quickly the workforce and equipment will scale up. The modest crew observed so far suggests the project remains in an early mobilisation phase.

Mombasa’s location on the coast offers a distinct setting for any teams that might use the stadium during the Africa Cup of Nations. The city’s established hotel capacity and different climate could appeal to sides seeking an alternative base.

Further site visits in the coming weeks will show whether the pace matches the target set by the national government. Stakeholders expect visible milestones before the end of the year.