The proposed land acquisition and proposed construction of a Gor Mahia complex that includes a 60,000 seater stadium has caused mixed reactions from fans.On Thursday 24 April, Gor Mahia Executive Committee joined the clubs Deputy Patron and Deputy Head of Public Service Eliud Owalo to a site visit of the proposed land located in Lukenya, next to Daystar University, Machakos County.Gor Mahia Stadium Site Visit in Lukenya.Gor Mahia FC Deputy Patron Eliud Owalo led club officials on a site visit to a 48-acre parcel of land in Lukenya, Machakos County, to assess its suitability for the construction of a new Gor Mahia stadium and related facilities.The… pic.twitter.com/GuFlnv1jy2— Carol Radull (@CarolRadull) April 24, 2025 According to Owalo, the land covers 48 acres and upon completion, will include a 60,000- seater stadium, three training pitches; for senior team, youth team and Women team and accommodation apartments for players.Additionally, a 4-star hotel, indoor gym and convertible gymnasium, club offices, media centre, swimming pool, recovery facilities including a sauna, administration block, merchandise store, retail outlets, washrooms and ample parking will also be available.Inside Gor Mahia’s proposed 60,000 seater stadium [VIDEO]The proposed site and amenities elicited mixed reactions and formed a huge debate among K’Ogalo faithfuls and fans in general on social media.Mozzart Sport samples some of them in this article.“Good job. But for better experience I think a 60,000 capacity stadium is too big,” said Sports Journalist and Gor Mahia fan Boniface Osano.According to James Ochieng, the club should move with speed and actualize the project.“This is a project that ought to have started a decade if not two decades ago. Considering the prices and difficulty in finding land in Nairobi, I believe this is a great initiative,” he stated.Ochieng’s sentiments align with those of former Gor Mahia chairman aspirant Dan Wuod Ruoth Oketch who through his Facebook page, gave a detailed explanation of the suitability of the land.Gor Mahia reignites transparency with first gate collection report since 2019“I had a very honourable opportunity to vie for the Chairmanship of Gor Mahia. One of the SECRET ASSIGNMENTS I did was to search for land to put a reasonable stadium and a clubhouse. The search led me to the exact area Hon Owalo is sharing and deep in Kajiado County. We tried Nairobi.. but it was a tall order. Gor Mahia is currently hosting its games in Machakos town 65 km away; what would be wrong in owning such a facility 30 km from CBD?Unless we want to make a decision to completely relocate Gor Mahia to Nyanza region which is not an easy one; 80 % of away games are in Nairobi , and Gor Mahia support has always been in Nairobi… A stadium around the DayStar area is a great idea.Gor Mahia still has at its disposal the latitude to bring any games to Siaya, Homabay or Kisumu by listing these stadia at its alternative venues; but having the main stadium in Nairobi is a brilliant idea which needs to be supported,” said Oketch.##NAJAVA_MECA_8884724##Wuod Ongare, a Gor Mahia fan and CEO of fans outfit Wakurugenzi FC also supported the idea and location of the stadium.“In as much as Gor Mahia is a community club, the club is based in Nairobi and I see no wrong the stadium being built in Machakos county, we should also factor in the availability of large parcel of land and its buying price, is there a land in Nyanza Province and at what cost compared to the one in Machakos.We have Kenyatta’ stadium in Kisumu, Raila Odinga Stadium is coming up in Homabay, if those stadiums are completed and up to standard they can host Gor Mahia if need be. I am in support of the idea,” he remarked.However, for many other fans, they support the idea of having a stadium but strongly oppose the idea of having it away from Nyanza or Nairobi – where the majority of the fans and the club itself traces its roots.Gor Mahia reignites transparency with first gate collection report since 2019“I am against that idea. What is the logic of taking Gor Mahia with 85% fan base from the Luo community to Machakos where only about 10% of the population are from the community? Football should be taken to the fans,” said Collins Koyo.Dennis Okoth, a fan and Safety specialist, agreed with Koyo.“Gor Mahia Stadium must be built in either Homa Bay, Kisumu, Siaya, Migori or Nairobi Counties. Anything else is a No and must be rejected by all means necessary.”Bonface Ombago had a short but precise guide on where to find the location of the stadium.#TBT to 1976 — the year Gor Mahia made history by winning the league without losing a single match. It was their third title after earlier wins in 1964 and 1974. pic.twitter.com/w5BWfBXtVp— Mozzart Sport Kenya (@MozzartSportKe) April 24, 2025 “The stadium should be built in the area where the name GOR MAHIA emanated from.”Steve Kabwana on his part wants the community that largely supports the club to benefit from the economic proceeds that comes with a stadium.“This is a wrong move. Even though Gor Mahia is rooted all over Kenya, taking it away from where it began is a wrong move. This stadium comes with a lot of good fortunes that the community ought to benefit from,” he said.For Fredrick Odhiambo Snr, he held a totally different idea. He believes that owning a stadium is actually a wrong idea due to maintenance costs and instead rooted for just a training ground.Benni McCarthy’s shadow looms large as Rising Stars eye World Cup spot at U-20 AFCON“It is easy to build a stadium, but managing a FIFA-standard stadium is a completely different challenge. Many top-tier clubs across the world have opted to rent or share facilities rather than shoulder the enormous financial and operational burden of owning and maintaining a stadium.In Kenya, most Premier League clubs, including Gor Mahia, would struggle to sustainably manage a stadium. Gor Mahia should instead focus on building a modest, well-equipped training facility.The club can continue using Nyayo or Kasarani which are already maintained by government agencies and meet the standards required for high-level matches.In Italy for instance, about 60% of Serie A clubs do not own their stadiums. Clubs like Roma and Lazio use the Stadio Olimpico, owned by the Italian National Olympic Committee,” said Odhiambo.##NAJAVA_MECA_8883686##In conclusion, Whether in support or not, it is a healthy debate in Kenya’s football circles to discuss the modalities and location of stadiums.What majority of people, if not all agree with, is that it is time Gor Mahia, as one of the biggest and oldest clubs in the country, owns at least a training facility.
