Less than two years after securing a National Super League (NSL) ticket, SamWest Blackboots have revealed their ambitious plan to construct their own stadium, with a long-term partnership being sought.For starters, SamWest came to life in 1995 as a community club based in Dagoretti Sub-County, operating as Gachui Blackboots until 2021.Blackboots held their matches at Ruthimitu Mixed High School and had their best season in 2008 when they participated in the National League before being relegated to a lower tier.##NAJAVA_MECA_8456907##However, in 2022, sponsorship by SamWest Distributors revived the team, giving a sense of belonging to the talents who had lost hope, and allowing them to regain their competitive edge in the FKF Eastern Division Two.In October 2023, as financial hardship crippled activities at Vihiga Bullets, Blackboots, under new ownership, acquired the team and relocated its base from Kidundu in Vihiga County to Gikamburi in Nairobi.Vihiga Bullets rebrands to Samwest BlackbootsHowever, they still struggled to find a venue for their home matches, with the management forced to seek refuge in Vapor Grounds, Ngong.Speaking exclusively to Mozzart Sport, the club’s chairman Isaac Mwaura disclosed that the team had started identifying land to build a state-of-the-art stadium.He noted that this aligns with the team’s two-year plan for sustainability, adding that the facility, once constructed, will include all necessary social amenities and will be open to the public.”We have considered three areas: Ngoto, around Ruthimitu, and Gachai. The standout element of the stadium is that it will be the most sustainable mid-sized sports venue in the country. We want to make the most of this opportunity to create something special—it would be one of the greenest football stadiums to be built.”CONFIRMED: Kenya to allow fans into stadium against South Sudan after Cameroon lock outHe added, “We are going to be close to our people; our sponsors want the locals to own the club, and we must start by bringing football right to their doorstep.”He went on to say, “The focus is now on stabilizing the team. We were given two years to see progress, and we’ve now ensured our players’ allowances and salaries are consistent.””After that, we’ll eventually work on solidifying our place in Kenyan football before rolling out the full plan.”On the financial aspect of constructing a modern facility, the club administrator added, “Our CEO is committed to supporting talent, and we’re working around the clock to ensure we have all the resources needed. Good performance will definitely motivate him further, and we may see progress in less than two years.”##NAJAVA_MECA_8456880##Three-Year PlanAs initially mentioned, Blackboots rose to the second tier after a successful merger with Vihiga Bullets, which was under the chairmanship of former Vihiga County Governor Moses Akaranga.In their first season, the club nearly faced relegation, sitting rock bottom of the standings for more than six months before bringing in Andrea Ongwae from Darajani Gogo.Ongwae, an experienced relegation fighter with the now-defunct Gusii FC, managed to guide the team to a 14th-place finish and even beat champions Mara Sugar 2-1 in the final game of the campaign, pooping the party on their coronation ceremony.Raft of sanctions await Gor Mahia players who featured for A Mosquito FCMwaura, having experienced NSL competition, says they aim to reach the top tier, the FKF Premier League, within three years. “All we’re doing at the moment is building a team that can compete long-term.””We retained the majority of Vihiga players when we took over the team, but now we’ve had a chance to gauge and sign our own players. After surviving relegation last season, this year we are going to make our mark in football.””We’re not in a hurry for promotion, but if it happens this term, it’s no problem. Our main plan is three years; we want to do it with the young players we’ve signed and see what we can achieve next season,” he told Mozzart Sport.##NAJAVA_MECA_8456987##SamWest currently sits 13th in the 20-team NSL standings, with seven points from six matches. They welcome league leaders 3K FC on Sunday at Vapor Grounds, Ngong.
