How Much Will Talanta Stadium Cost? Comparing Kenya's New Stadium to Other Sports Venues
- The cost of constructing the Talanta Sports Complex in Nairobi has provoked heated reactions online
- The stadium, which will be used for AFCON 2027, is expected to be completed by December this year
- We take a look at how much other countries spent constructing their modern stadiums compared to Kenya
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Kenya has ramped up its efforts to construct a modern sports stadium, with the Talanta Sports Complex taking shape.
Source: UGC
For a country that still struggles with up-to-date facilities, the 60,000-seater stadium along Ngong Road is set to redefine the country’s sporting infrastructure.
However, as the dust rises around the construction site, so does the question of finances, which has provided fodder for a heated public discourse.
How much will Talanta Stadium cost?
In documents presented to the National Assembly’s Committee on Sports and Culture by the Ministry of Defence, the government estimated that the project will cost $344.5 million (KSh 44.7 billion).
This figure, according to former Budget Chair Ndindi Nyoro, could rise to KSh 100 billion after the government secured a bond issued by Linzi Finco.
"The maturity of this loan of KSh 44.7 billion means we could pay up to KSh 100 billion. If this cannot make us angry as Kenyans, I don’t know what will," said the Kiharu lawmaker.
The cost has elicited sharp reactions online, with many claiming the cost is inflated and could have been used to build multiple stadiums.
We dive into it and look at how much it took to construct stadiums outside Kenya.
Comparing Talanta Stadium cost to other stadiums in East Africa
Let's start closer to home.
The Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Tanzania was built to a tune of KSh 7.22 billion ($56 million) by the Beijing Construction Engineering Group in 2007.
Of this amount, the Tanzanian government only chipped in with KSh 3.23 billion, while the rest was a grant from the Chinese government.
In Uganda, the Mandela National Stadium was constructed at a cost of KSh 4.64 billion ($36 million) and opened in 1997.
The official opening ceremony was delayed as the government worked on building access roads. Documents indicate that the whole amount was a Chinese grant.
The Mkapa Stadium seats 60,000 people, while the one in Namboole has a maximum capacity of 45,000.
How much did FNB Stadium cost?
The FNB Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, is the only stadium on the continent to have hosted a FIFA World Cup final.
The stadium was built between 1986 and 1989, and according to Dawn, the estimated cost then was between $373 million to $440 million (KSh 48.1 billion to KSh 56.8 billion).
The 94,000-seater was later renovated in readiness for the 2010 World Cup, where a further $400 million (KSh 51.6 billion) was used.
How much Morocco spent on stadiums
Given that Kenya is doing all this to be ready for AFCON 2027, it is only fair that we look at how much the next hosts spent on their stadiums.
Morocco is many years ahead of other African nations with state-of-the-art facilities. The North African giants are also gearing up to co-host the World Cup 2030.
The Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat was built in 2023 after the original structure was demolished.
The stadium cost three billion dirhams (KSh 42.5 billion), but the government spent a further KSh 9.2 billion to construct a 25,000-seater athletics facility at the same place, as reported by Walaw.
Morocco has at least six such world-class stadiums.
How much Ivory Coast spent to build AFCON 2023 final stadium
The Alassane Ouattara Ebimpé Olympic Stadium in Abidjan was built with $257 million (KSh 33.15 billion).
The Ivorian government shouldered around 56% of the total cost. However, after it was opened in 2020, the stadium underwent renovations, which brought the total cost to $295 million (KSh 38.06 billion).
It hosted the AFCON 2023 final between Ivory Coast and Nigeria.
Source: Getty Images
Cost of major stadiums worldwide
Further afield, Manchester United recently unveiled plans to build a new stadium, which will cost £2billion ( KSh 371.8 billion). Their current stadium, Old Trafford, was originally built at a cost of KSh 16.73 million way back in 1909.
Arsenal's Emirates Stadium initially cost £390 million (KSh 72.5 billion) in 2006. Chelsea's Stamford Bridge cost £3,000 (KSh 557,700) when it was first built in 1877, while Liverpool's Anfield cost £2,600 (KSh 483,340) in 1884.
Source: Getty Images
All these stadiums have since undergone serious, costly renovations and expansions over the years.
Europe's biggest stadium, Barcelona's Camp Nou, cost 288 million pesetas (KSh 277.5 million) when it was first opened in 1957, as reported by Academia Lab.
Their rivals, Real Madrid, used 38.3 million pesetas (KSh 36.9 million) to construct the Bernabeu in 1947.
Top 10 costliest stadiums by initial construction cost
| Rank | Stadium | Location | Year opened | Cost (in KSh) |
| 1 | SoFi | California, USA | 2020 | 825 billion |
| 2 | Allegiant | Nevada, USA | 2020 | 285 billion |
| 3 | Yankee | New York, USA | 2009 | 273 billion |
| 4 | MetLife | New Jersey, USA | 2010 | 240 billion |
| 5 | Mercedes-Benz | Atlanta, USA | 2017 | 240 billion |
| 6 | AT&T Stadium | Arlington, Texas, USA | 2009 | 237 billion |
| 7 | UBS Arena | Elmont, New York, USA | 2021 | 225 billion |
| 8 | Singapore National Stadium | Kallang, Singapore | 2014 | 216 billion |
| 9 | Levi’s Stadium | Santa Clara, California, USA | 2014 | 215 billion |
| 10 | Wembley Stadium | London, England | 2007 | 165 billion |
Figures courtesy of Forbes, Business Insider and StadiumDB.
Disclaimer
The converted amounts to KSh don't take into account inflation costs over the years.
Video of Nyayo Stadium ahead of CHAN 2024
In a separate report, Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya handed over a complete Nyayo Stadium to the Local Organising Committee (LOC).
The stadium will host CHAN 2024 Group A games, save for Harambee Stars matches.
Harambee Stars will play all four of their group games at the Kasarani Stadium.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
