Nyayo National Stadium – stadium description

Designed by local Nyanja architects, the new national stadium of Kenya stands in central Nairobi, tucked between main avenues of the city. This unusual location forced the south curve to be cut. Along with the stadium a complex of swimming pools and gymnasium was delivered.

Thanks to its planned capacity of 30,000, it hosted a wide array of great football and athletic events. The main football tenants are AFC Leopards, Kenya’s 13-time champions. Younger Sofapaka FC also plays some games here, while Kenya’s national team repeatedly named Nyayo as the preferred matchday venue. Under the stands both Kenyan national football and athletic associations have their headquarters.

Unfortunately, aside from great history, the stadium also has a dark one. Poor match organization, spectator segregation and entry gates led to several deaths. In 2005 a young boys was killed, while in 2010 seven more fans died as result of stampede. To date the infrastructure hasn’t been improved and many still consider Nyayo as ‘disaster waiting to happen’ or the Kenyan Hillsborough.

A potential for improvement of safety standards was seen in naming rights deal with Coca-Cola. The beverage giant was to pay $1.5 million for the name, but deal reached in 2009 was canceled after just 3 months.