The newly built Kinyago Sports Ground in California Ward, Kamukunji Constituency, Nairobi County, was swept away by the raging floods that hit parts of the country on Saturday, raising questions about the quality of work done by the contractor.
Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja, speaking during a live interview on Sunday with Citizen TV, blamed poor waste disposal habits among Nairobi residents. He maintained that many of the challenges facing the city are historical and that drainage problems cannot be solved overnight.
“I know where I have gotten this city from. I know what the plan is, and I have figured out how to come in to the deficit of financing, and you will see the results. I want to see my city change. I have the best intentions for this city; this is where I was born,” he said.
“The situation cannot be solved by a quick fix, and the city’s drainage system is not designed to handle the intensity of rainfall being experienced,” he added, noting that the flooding was part of a wider global climate challenge.
Although the interview did not directly address sports infrastructure, many residents have questioned how the newly completed facility — handed over to Nairobi City County for management on February 26, 2026 — passed inspection by city engineers and planners.
The upgrading of Kinyago Sports Ground was part of a project that also included improvements to Huruma Sports Ground and Mathare Area 4 at Heide Marie Primary School. The project involved a total investment of more than Sh20 million through a partnership between Nairobi County and Tecno.
Nairobi continues to face a shortage of quality sports facilities, affecting many athletes who rely on sports as a career, particularly during the rainy season.
Outdoor sports such as football, basketball, athletics, tennis, volleyball, handball and netball are frequently disrupted because most playing fields in the city are open grounds that have long lacked proper maintenance.
Athletes in indoor sports including boxing, karate and taekwondo have also urged the county government to renovate social halls to provide suitable training facilities, a move they say could help revive Kenya’s strong legacy in combat sports.
The destruction of Kinyago Sports Ground is a major setback for footballers in Kamukunji, who must now look for alternative spaces such as Desert Grounds in California. Other public facilities like Umeme Grounds in Ziwani can only be used when weather conditions allow, leaving players with the costly option of renting privately owned astroturf pitches — a challenge for many residents already struggling with rising economic pressures.