Afraha Stadium

Afraha Stadium sits on General Kariba Road, just south of the Nakuru central business district. The ground opened in 1948, but the more relevant story is the renovation currently reshaping the site under the Kenya Urban Support Programme, which began in April 2021 and is due for completion around March 2024. The original capacity of 8,200 is being expanded to 15,000 in this first phase, a move part of a longer plan to reach 30,000 for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, though that future chapter is not yet written.

What is visible on the pitch is natural grass, worn from use, and the edge of the new tartan athletics track that now circles the playing area. The changing rooms have been rebuilt, and the stands now carry canopies to shield spectators, a practical addition for the Nakuru climate. The stadium has no former names; it has always been Afraha Stadium, a name that has stayed with the place through every change. Primary tenants include Ulinzi Stars, who played here until the 2021 closure for renovations, alongside Nakuru AllStars and Comply F.C.

The venue has hosted notable events, including the 2013 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup group stage matches and a 1980 friendly between Kenya and Zambia, but those moments are part of the past. A more recent memory is Wizkid’s performance at the Katika Festival in November 2018, which brought a different kind of crowd to the stands. No official attendance record figure was found, so the information available is limited to what can be seen and what has been documented by local sources. The ground remains a work in progress, with Phase 2 yet to begin.