Govt starts deliberation on incorporating commercial spaces in newly built stadium
By Luke Oluoch, July 8, 2026In a bid to stimulate the country’s economic and social development, the government is deliberating on a new policy to incorporate commercial spaces into newly built sports infrastructure to create sustainable revenue streams for long-term operations and maintenance.
Defence Principal Secretary Patrick Mariru revealed the developments following a consultative meeting with counterparts from the State Departments for ICT and the Digital Economy, MSMEs, and Housing and Urban Development on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.
Commercial spaces
“This morning, at the defense headquarters, I chaired a consultative meeting on the utilisation of stadium spaces for economic activities. The meeting followed the government’s directive that all new and upcoming stadia should incorporate commercial spaces as a long-term sustainability measure,” Mariru stated.
The PS added that discussions centered on policy formulation and design guidelines to utilize under-terrace spaces within stadia. These areas will be redesigned to accommodate office spaces, ICT hubs, MSME business spots, commercial shops, and other income-generating facilities.
Major shift
The initiative highlights a major paradigm shift in how sports infrastructure is designed, funded, and managed in Kenya. For years, multi-million-shilling stadium projects have been treated strictly as expensive public utilities that remain empty and locked outside of match days.
Furthermore, they have historically relied solely on the national treasury for maintenance, often falling into disrepair due to a lack of budgetary allocations or political goodwill.
By transforming these facilities into hybrid commercial complexes that attract private investment through retail zones, offices, and entertainment hubs, the stadia will generate continuous rental income to fund daily operations, pitch care, security, and structural upkeep.
The 39-stadium plan
This new infrastructural approach follows a massive government cash injection into the sports sector.
On June 23, 2026, President William Ruto announced that the government had earmarked Ksh26.4 billion to facilitate the completion of 39 sports stadia across the country. The funding is aimed at enhancing access to quality sporting facilities and nurturing talent at both the grassroots and elite levels, while the new commercial directive ensures these venues remain viable long after construction is complete.