The Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare has raised concerns over construction delays, disability access and emergency preparedness at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, as the stadium races to meet the 31 December handover deadline ahead of AFCON 2027.

During an inspection led by Committee Chair Sen. Julius Murgor (West Pokot), Senators pressed the project team to account for outstanding works and demonstrate that the facility would meet the safety and accessibility standards required of an international sporting venue.

Sen. Beth Syengo questioned the pace of construction, prompting the project team, led by Major Daniel Makana, to attribute earlier delays to payment challenges which it said had since been resolved.

Major Makana reported that the contractor had doubled the workforce and that daily and weekly progress reports were being submitted to monitor implementation. The team maintained that the December deadline remained achievable.

The redevelopment, undertaken in two phases, involved initial preparations for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) followed by further upgrades for AFCON 2027.

Key improvements include additional access ramps and lifts, a new Teflon roof covering 95 per cent of spectator seating and upgraded floodlighting of 3,000 lux to meet Confederation of African Football (CAF) requirements.

The playing surface has also been redesigned, with improved drainage intended to clear water within three minutes. The project team said the natural grass, whose germination stood at approximately 70 per cent, would be reinforced through a hybrid stitching system.

Committee Vice-Chair Sen. Crystal Asige questioned whether accessibility had been adequately incorporated into the stadium’s design, seeking details on facilities for persons with disabilities.

The project team said 1.5 per cent of the stadium’s 60,000 seats had been allocated to persons with disabilities, across the southern, eastern and western sections between gates 5 and 13.

However, the team did not provide definitive figures for accessible parking spaces and washrooms.

Sen. Asige also sought assurances on wheelchair-accessible shuttle services and the provision of tactile paving, Braille signage, audio descriptions and sign-language interpretation.

She cautioned against treating accessibility as a temporary tournament requirement, urging the project team to provide lasting solutions.

“We don't want to make something just for today. We want to make it for posterity,” she said.

Sen. Seki Lenku (Kajiado) questioned the preparedness of government agencies to respond to emergencies, particularly coordination between the project team, Nairobi City County (NCC) and the Ministry of Labour’s Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services (DOSHS).

A county representative told the committee that Nairobi City County was yet to complete its assessment of the facility.

The committee also raised concerns about firefighting capacity after NCC revealed that the fire hydrants had no water during a previous visit to the stadium. 

Senators sought copies of inspection and compliance reports, with the representative undertaking to follow up with the relevant team.

Sen. Murgor called for closer coordination among the agencies to ensure that occupational safety, health and emergency preparedness requirements were addressed before the stadium hosts major international events.

The project team said new access arrangements would separate spectators, players, media personnel and VIPs to improve security and manage crowd movement.

On sustainability, the team cited waste segregation facilities, the reuse of removed stadium seats in county stadiums under construction and the relocation of grass from the main stadium for use on training pitches.

Energy-saving measures include heat-exchange systems in changing rooms and major washrooms to reduce electricity consumption.

The redevelopment also provides for concession stands on the first and second floors, ground-floor office space and 18 skyboxes.

The committee called for greater accountability and closer monitoring of outstanding works as the handover deadline approaches.

While the project team maintained that the stadium would be delivered on schedule, Senators emphasised the need to resolve outstanding accessibility and emergency preparedness concerns alongside the remaining construction works.