GOVT MAKES CHANGES ON UPCOMING MADARAKA DAY

The government, through the Interior Ministry, announced a change of venue and theme for the upcoming Madaraka Day which will be celebrated on June 1, 2023.

In a statement dated Tuesday, February 21, Interior Ministry Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo announced that the event will no longer be held at Njukiri Grounds in Embu County as earlier announced but would be moved to Moi Stadium in Embu County.

The PS explained that the change was necessitated by cost constraints that made the government unable to complete the stadium in time. 

“The celebration will no longer be held at Njukiri Grounds due to cost and time constraints that will delay construction of the stadium that had been conceptualised to host the event.,” the statement read in part.

“We expect that within the next 45 days, the structure will be up, and the rest of the amenities put together. Already there is a lot of work going on. Hosting the celebrations at Njukiri would have required an additional two months which we do not have,” Omollo remarked during a physical tour of the stadium.

In preparation to hold the event, Moi Stadium will undergo a facelift at a cost of Ksh300 million and is expected to host 20,000 guests.

Further, Omollo announced that the theme of the Madaraka Day celebrations had been changed from Universal Healthcare (UHC) to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

“We have changed the theme for this year’s celebrations from Universal Health Coverage to focus on the SMEs so that we can improve on the economy, which is one of the biggest challenges.

“So, for the people of Embu, this is another opportunity to look at how we can be able to spur the economy of this county, not just in Embu town,” the PS remarked on the change.

The PS further allayed fears that the construction of Njukiri International Stadium had stalled but reiterated Ruto’s promise to build international stadiums across the country. 

He revealed that during the Madaraka Day celebrations, Ruto will oversee the groundbreaking ceremony of Njukiri project whose construction had halted for a while.

Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire, speaking during the event, enthused optimism that the government would construct the stadium.

“We are convinced that with the infrastructure that has been placed right at Njukiri Grounds, the construction will move quite fast,” she remarked.

By kenyans