04/01/2026
I have to air my Opinion about this issue of "affordable seats" at the Talanta "international stadium." Look, I am not surprised by the way, it is the Kenyan standard, and I expect even worse. It turns out it is our way of doing things, and in the near future you might even expect court orders stopping the construction, but the reason for that is not what you expect.
But how did we get here?
First, the stadium has been constructed specifically for AFCON 27. You just need to meet CAF standards, and for that, these seats at least meet these standards, even if they are not "modern." Expect the same low standard even for the playing surface, floodlights and other amenities. They will focus on just achieving the bare minimum of CAF requirements and not the top quality or modern tech. This stadium and its purpose are just political tools to keep someone in office after the 2027 elections. After 2027, expect it to be used for political rallies, national celebrations and the so-called "national prayers and crusades" and less footballing action.
However, you cannot blame anyone in authority for that. I mean, the Kenyan football fraternity does not respect or value its football, so why would someone who is not a fan or a stakeholder value it? If a fan does not want to pay the stadium entrance fee or respect and protect the facility upon entry, why would someone risk putting in the most modern and more expensive facilities? If a fan who paid less than Ksh. 500 vandalizes a Ksh. 3000 seat, how will repairs be funded? If a club cannot fill even a quarter of the stadium when hosting matches there, how will they afford to hire a stadium with world-class facilities?
I have seen Kenyan Premier League games played in sh*tty grounds which are bumpy, half green and with poorly maintained grass, while others have dangerous artificial turfs which are in very bad shape. Teams do not care about playing in such conditions, and the Federation is okay with approving such pathetic pitches. So, why would the government care to put up a world-class surface when the people involved in the sport do not care? if a Kikuyu grass bumpy surface will work for Kenyan teams (who are the primary beneficiaries of stadiums), why bother looking for the quality of grass found in Wembley or Allianz Arena?
The bottom line is, until Kenyan Football sets itself some standards, no one will take it seriously and no one will invest serious money in it. Expect poor standards until the day you start treating the game as a professional industry, until you put the right structures in place to challenge investors to consider the sport as a serious area of investment. Otherwise for now, get used to substandard facilities and appreciate them because it is the best the government can (even more than what they should) offer, based on the little revenue that is raised through football.
