Busia: The ongoing renovation of Acunet Malaba Stadium will include a standard track for athletics, Busia County Executive Committee Member for Sports, Culture, Gender and Tourism, Olunga Paul Ekwenye, revealed on Wednesday. Speaking at a media briefing for the second edition of the Teso North Pre-trial Chepsaita Marathon at Hotel Levantes in Amagoro, Olunga stated that the face-lift will elevate the track to meet Athletics Kenya standards.
According to Kenya News Agency, Busia Stadium is currently unable to host athletics meets due to the absence of a water jump for steeplechase events. The renovation will address this issue by including a water jump at Malaba Stadium. Additionally, Olunga disclosed that the national government has allocated Sh700 million for the construction of a modern stadium in Busia, which will enable the hosting of international matches. This will ensure continued improvements to Malaba Stadium to meet required standards.
Olunga also discussed the second edition of the Governor's Cup 2025, indicating that it will be better structured than the first edition. The tournament will be organized at Ward, Sub-County, and County levels. The winners of the first edition in the men's category received Sh500,000, while this year's victors will earn Sh1 million. Similarly, the prize for winners in the ladies' category will increase from Sh250,000 to Sh500,000. There are also plans to introduce other disciplines, such as volleyball and short races, to encourage more youth participation.
The county executive announced the forthcoming draft sports policy, which is expected to be tabled soon. Funds have been allocated in the FY 2024-2025 budget to develop this policy. The draft document is awaiting Olunga's approval before it proceeds to the cabinet. The sports policy aims to facilitate sports funding in the county. Additionally, a youth policy will be presented to the cabinet next week to address youth challenges, including drug-related issues.
Regarding doping, which has negatively impacted the country's sports reputation, Olunga noted that it has been partially managed in Busia. This improvement is attributed to the efforts of NACADA and the anti-doping agency, which have conducted frequent visits to the area.