Kericho Green Stadium renamed after Kenya's first OIympic winner Wilson Chumo

President William Ruto recently renamed the upgraded Green Stadium in Kericho after the first-ever man to win Kenya an Olympic medal, Wilson Kiprugut Chumo.

Chumo was a legendary middle-distance runner, and won Kenya her maiden medal at the Summer Games in 1964 during the Tokyo Olympic Games, striking a bronze medal in the 800 meters.

The legendary athlete passed away last year at the age of 84 years.

Speaking during the 60th Mashujaa Day Celebration held at the stadium, the head of state stated that renaming the stadium was the only way to appreciate Chumo.

He had a decorated athletic career, bagging silver at the 1966 Commonwealth Games before claiming another silver at the 1968 Olympic Games. He went ahead to win gold medals at the 1965 All Africa Games held in Brazzaville, Congo.

“Allow me to celebrate Kiprugut Chumo, the first Kenyan athlete to win an Olympic medal by renaming this Kericho Green Stadium after him, I think he deserves it,” said President Ruto.

The late Chumo was born and raised in Kericho, and he took up running during his time at Kaptebeswet Primary School and later Sitowet Intermediate School. He became a household name during the East and Central African Championships in 1958 where he won three 880-yard.

At the same time, netizens have taken to social media to express their disappointment and frustration over the sorry state of the stadium, even after the recent renovation.

Local residents pointed out that they struggled to navigate the mucky grounds, with reports of people losing their shoes in the thick mud circulating online.

The muddy state was also brought about by the heavy rainfall in Kericho County, which saw the Mashujaa Day celebrations start and end early. The missing tartan track also made the situation worse.

Speaking during the handing over ceremony of the stadium to the Ministry of Sports, CS Ababu Namwamba said that the stadium was still far from completion, with the works expected to continue after the Mashujaa Day celebrations.

Namwamba further pointed out that the tartan track which was removed during the demolitions will be laid in the coming weeks as the government seeks to raise the profile of the stadium. The county government laid the tartan facility in 2019 under the administration of former Governor Professor Paul Chepkwony, However, by the time it was removed two months ago, it had become frayed and dangerous for athletes to use during practice and competition.

"We have a field that can now facilitate games here. We have been able to remove the old tartan track and prepare the surface for the laying of a modern tartan track because this stadium was not refurbished just for Mashujaa Day, but it can be available to service the immense pool of talents in Kericho County and the South Rift in general," he assured.

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So far, the number of entry points to the facility has been increased from two to three, with the pavilions brought down, and seven new ones constructed.

The county administration pumped Ksh 110 million to upgrade the stadium with Ksh 35 million having been spent for laying the tartan tack, which was the most prominent feature at the stadium at the time.

The stadium has a seating capacity of 10,000 with the VIP pavilion holding 2,000 guests. It also has changing rooms, offices, a VIP lounge, and other facilities that have been constructed from scratch.