Joseph Malatit Chebii, a retired chief from Baringo County has begun a 354km charity walk to Nairobi to raise funds to complete the stalled Kabarnet stadium.

The 61-year-old started his 14-day trek at 6 am on Tuesday at his remote Eron home village in Salawa, Baringo Central. He plans to be retiring each day at 5 pm and setting off at 7 am the next day until he gets to his final destination.

According to Malatit, a retired Kimoso sublocation assistant chief who served from 1993 to 2020, he is taking the long walk because of his love of his homeland and the people, and an honour to the young people who have to go to train in neigbouring counties due to lack of a functional stadium.

“It’s so shameful seeing youth going to train in Nakuru and Uasin Gishu counties when we can have our own facilities,” he said.

He hopes to meet President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa and Kenya Olympic Committee president Paul Tergat, who is from Baringo.

Malatit is also banking on the support of Baringo’s political leaders including Senator Gideon Moi and MPs Joshua Kandie and his Eldama-Ravine counterpart Moses Lessonet.

The Karbanet stadium was commissioned by former Governor Benjamin Cheboi in 2014 but it has since stalled.

The ex-chief says the grounds have now turned into drinking dens and open defection sites.