The Wajir County security team on Monday inspected the ongoing construction of a new 10,000-seater stadium in Wajir town, a flagship project announced during the recent visit by Kenyan President William Ruto.

Led by Wajir County Commissioner Karuku Ngumo, the team assessed the progress of the KSh900 million facility, which is expected to boost sports development and local economic activity once completed.

Ngumo said the inspection indicated that the project is progressing as planned and that contractors had committed to delivering the stadium within the required timeline.

“According to the works that we have seen so far, I think we are on course and the contractor has assured us that he’s going to beat the deadline,” Ngumo told journalists after the inspection in Wajir.

He noted that while most aspects of the project were progressing well, there was a challenge related to electricity supply that authorities are working to resolve.

Officials are awaiting the installation of a transformer from Kenya Power, which Ngumo said will be escalated to the company’s headquarters to speed up the process.

“The rest of the other issues are matters that will be handled by the county security committee, and I’m sure that by the end of May we are going to have a stadium,” he said.

Ngumo added that the facility will have a capacity of 10,000 people and will include an athletics track and a football pitch, positioning the county to host major sporting events in the future.

“We’re expecting to host national and international games in Wajir, and that means this is going to be a big boost to the economy of this county and Wajir town in particular,” he said.

Project engineer Dennis Oloo also briefed the visiting officials and members of the media, assuring them that construction is being carried out in line with approved designs and contractual standards.

“You should expect very top-notch quality of work as per the designs and specifications that are in the drawings and in our contracts,” Oloo said, adding that a robust quality assurance system has been put in place to ensure the project meets required standards.

He said consultants from the Kenya Defence Forces were also involved in supervision and regular inspections to maintain quality and efficiency during construction.

According to Oloo, the project is expected to create employment opportunities for local residents, particularly as construction reaches its peak phase.

“At the peak of this project, we anticipate having over 1,000 workers on a daily basis,” he said, noting that the construction schedule will run around the clock in three eight-hour shifts.

He added that the project team has taken measures to address potential disruptions, including power supply challenges, by installing a 220 kVA generator to ensure continuous work.

“We anticipate finishing ahead of schedule because of the measures we have put in place,” Oloo said.

The stadium project forms part of broader government efforts to improve infrastructure in northern Kenya and prepare Wajir to host the national Madaraka Day celebrations, an event expected to draw visitors and senior government officials from across the country.