For the residents of Dundori ward in Bahati Constituency, the closure of a football pitch in their area in 2023 for renovations and uplifting gave them hope of a better tomorrow, especially for those in the sporting fraternity.

The pitch was supposed to be levelled, and in addition to this, have grass replanted on the surface within a period of six months; however, more than two and a half years down the line, the pitch still lies bare. The renovation that was supposed to happen still has not taken place.

This is what led the youth in Dundori to bring the busy Dundori business center to a standstill. Chanting, “tunataka uwanja yetu”.

The group, consisting of youth, donned their favorite teams’ jerseys, marching through the road in Dundori, blowing their vuvuzelas and whistles. They finally got to the pitch and stormed through the gates to access the pitch.

A playfield that has been unoperational for over two years now in Dundori ward, Bahati Constituency

Photo credit: BRET SANYA/ MTAA WANGU

Their tales are those of desperation, sadness, and anger.

Speaking to Joseph Ndungu, the coach of the Dundori football club, he paints a grim picture of what has become of the futures of his players and the sport as a whole in the ward.

“To many of us, this is not only a football pitch but a beacon of hope to many of the youth in this place. By coming on and playing, watching games, and training, it helped many of the youth in this area to stay away from vices and spend their time doing constructive things,” he notes.

The coach explains how the closure of the stadium has affected his team greatly.

“Before the closure of this stadium, our team was playing in the county division, and when the stadium was closed, we were automatically relegated to the sub-county division simply because we lack a home ground where other teams would come play,” he laments.

Joseph Ndung'u also decries the poor state of their pitch, saying that it’s the youths in Dundori who bear the brunt of it all.

“With football games coming here, it offered an opportunity of having the young talents to be scouted enabling them to play in higher levels. However, for the last three years, that has not happened. There is so much talent wasting away in the villages simply because they do not have a place to display their talent,” he decries.

Simon Gicheha, a youth leader in Dundori, laments that the youth in the area have been neglected, and that is very unfortunate.

“Many of the youth here are languishing in drugs, illicit brew, and crime. We need immediate interventions. At the moment, if we could only have two goal posts and a well-constructed drainage to direct water outside the pitch, then we can gladly resume training.

The group of youth have vowed to continue holding protests weekly until their leaders come to their aid and reopen the pitch that is a lifeline to them.

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