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Legendary Kipchoge Keino’s Name Dropped from Nandi Stadium in Favor of Ruto

KAPSABET — The sports facility in Kapsabet, Nandi County, will be christened William Ruto Stadium following its ongoing reconstruction, Governor Stephen Sang announced on Sunday.

The governor made the disclosure during ceremonies marking the opening of new municipal offices in Kapsabet on December 8, explaining that the name change addresses practical challenges stemming from naming confusion.

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“Having two facilities with identical names—one here and another in Eldoret—has created administrative headaches,” Sang explained. “Projects and resources intended for our county have mistakenly been directed to Eldoret due to this duplication.”

The facility, which previously shared its name with Eldoret’s sports complex, honors legendary Kenyan athlete Kipchoge Keino. However, the governor emphasized that the renaming recognizes President Ruto’s direct involvement in securing funding for the venue’s transformation.

“Just as we have facilities named after former leaders like Moi and Odinga, this stadium will carry President Ruto’s name because of his instrumental role in making this upgrade possible,” the governor noted.

Part of National Infrastructure Drive

The Kapsabet facility represents one component of an ambitious national initiative to deliver 25 modernized sports venues by 2027. This infrastructure push aligns with the administration’s Talanta Hela initiative, designed to transform athletic and creative abilities into viable career paths for young Kenyans.

The stadium development serves multiple strategic objectives beyond sports. Officials cite job creation during construction, economic stimulation through sports tourism, and positioning Kenya to host prestigious international competitions like the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The upgraded venue will feature a capacity of 10,000 seats and is being constructed at the Kapsabet Showground, with operations at the original location temporarily relocated to accommodate the building phase.

Government officials frame the nationwide stadium program as essential to the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, emphasizing that quality sports infrastructure must be distributed equitably across counties to ensure talent development opportunities reach all regions.

The project reflects broader ambitions to elevate Kenya’s international sporting profile while fostering domestic unity through athletics—a vision that positions modern stadiums as symbols of national advancement and global competitiveness.