By Abdullahi Alas

The historic celebrations have now come to a close, receding into memory in the collective consciousness. The military parade, the presidential address, and the rare display of pomp and colour before jubilant crowds have now become part of the past.

The 10,000-seat stadium, rushed to about 90 per cent completion by the Kenya Defence Forces, served its purpose. It helped elevate Wajir’s profile as one of Kenya’s fastest-growing towns and drew renewed attention to the wider Northern region.

Attention now turns to the future of the Hon. Ahmed Khalif Stadium, a KSh 900 million investment. The question remains whether there is a sustainable plan in place to manage and fully operationalise the facility for the benefit not only of the people of Wajir, but of the wider region and beyond.

Much to the delight of residents, the awe-inspiring historic celebrations placed Wajir firmly on the national stage. The nation took notice. Yet June 2 is not a public holiday, and what follows the fanfare is a far more demanding test than any military parade.

What remains is the test of institutional memory, bureaucratic competence, and genuine political will. The real challenge now is how to complete the jigsaw puzzle of fully unlocking the economic, social and cultural potential of this magnificent facility.

Let us be clear about what was being celebrated. According to Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, the stadium was only 28 per cent complete as of early April. By late May, that figure had risen to over 90 per cent, a herculean feat delivered by the military under unprecedented time pressure.

The roofing still remains to be completed, while the tartan track is yet to be installed. Ancillary facilities, including changing rooms, floodlights, drainage, and perimeter fencing, are either partially complete or remain largely on paper.

PS Omollo has assured the nation that the remaining works at the stadium, under the supervision of the Kenya Defence Forces, will be completed after the celebrations. The key commitment is that the project will be finalised  within a month and  1 July 2026, the stadium is expected to be fully complete.

We have similar script before. A national event arrives. A project is fast-tracked to a “good enough” state. The cameras leave. The contractors vanish. And what remains is a white elephant project in a region already haunted by too many of them. Remember the Bungoma case.

Which brings us to the uncomfortable question of institutional readiness. The stadium, once complete, will fall under the purview of the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, through its county sports offices. Is that department prepared to take over a huge asset in one of Kenya’s most remote and operationally expensive regions?

Consider the broader context. Kenya is racing to co-host AFCON 2027, yet the Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund is severely overstretched, with only KSh 3.74 billion disbursed against a required KSh 15.11 billion for stadium upgrades nationally.

Kasarani and Nyayo stadia face contractor walkouts over billions in unpaid dues. The Talanta Sports City project has ballooned from KSh 35 billion to over KSh 45 billion. If the national government cannot maintain the flagship stadiums in Nairobi-the capital city, the center of political and media attention-what hope does Wajir have?

The military does not manage community sports facilities. That responsibility belongs to a sports ministry that is, by its own admission, struggling to keep its existing portfolio from collapsing.

To date, no public document has outlined a sustainability plan for the new Stadium. Who will pay for electricity? Who will maintain the pitch? Who will secure the facility from vandalism? Who will ensure that the borehole dug for construction-now opened to the public, continues to function?

These are not minor questions. In northern Kenya, where temperatures routinely exceed 35°C and infrastructure deteriorates rapidly without sustained maintenance, a stadium can risk becoming obsolete within a single dry season.

The County Government of Wajir, led by Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, has welcomed the stadium as a “platform for future commercial, sporting, and tourism activities.” But the county’s annual budget is approximately KSh 12 billion-barely enough for recurrent expenditure, let alone the specialized maintenance of an international-standard sports facility.

The county lacks a dedicated sports department with trained facility managers. It lacks an inventory of equipment. It lacks a maintenance budget line item. If the national government does not provide an operational endowment- a dedicated fund for maintenance and staffing-this stadium will join the graveyard of abandoned development projects that dot the vast region.

My proposal

Let me propose a different path, one that honors the history of this land while building an economic future. Hon. Ahmed Khalif Wajir Stadium it is.

But a name alone does not fill the stands. Yet still, Hon. Ahmed khalif Stadium can be the answer for northern Kenya.

The FKF plans to establish a grassroots scouting network at every sub-county and ward level, creating a database of young talent. Wajir should become the regional hub for this network—the place where the best primary school athletes from Garissa, Mandera, Marsabit, Isiolo, and Tana River come to compete, be scouted, and access advanced training.

The Ministry of Education should designate Hon. Ahmed khalif Stadium as the venue for annual zonal and national primary school championships. This would bring hundreds of young athletes, coaches, and officials to Wajir every year-generating economic activity and giving northern children a reason to dream.

Wajir sits at the intersection of Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. The Somali-speaking populations across these borders share culture, language, and crucially, a love for football and athletics. The national government, through the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of East African Community and Regional Development, should establish an annual Horn of Africa Youth Games hosted in Wajir.

Invite teams from Garissa, Mandera, and Wajir—but also from Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Jijiga, and Djibouti City. Football, athletics, volleyball, and traditional sports like camel racing would draw participants and spectators from across the region.

The economic logic is simple: every visiting team needs accommodation, food, transport, and security. Every tournament requires officials, media, and administrators. The multiplier effect on Wajir’s local economy—hotels, restaurants, transport, retail—would be transformative.

The people of Wajir are not ungrateful. The stadium is a historic achievement. The fact that Madaraka Day was held in the north for the first time in 63 years is not nothing. President Ruto’s commitment to ending regional marginalization deserves acknowledgment.

But gratitude is not a maintenance plan. Celebration is not sustainability. And symbolism-no matter how well-executed-is not justice.

The huge cost of the stadium question is not a rhetorical exercise. It is a test of whether Kenya has truly moved beyond Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965-the blueprint that deliberately broke the north. It is a test of whether “inclusivity” and “equitable development” are policies or press releases.

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The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Wajir Today. The article is intended to contribute to public debate and inclusive discourse. Any reference to individuals or events are made in good faith and in the public interest.  To contribute articles  to Wajir Today send your opinion ideas to newsroom@wajirtoday.co.ke