Air Quality Monitoring Sensor installed at Ulinzi Sports Complex ahead of Absa Kip Keino Classic
𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐈, 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓- An Air Quality Monitoring Sensor has been installed at the Ulinzi Sports Complex Stadium in Nairobi ahead of the 2025 Absa Kip Keino Classic meeting on Saturday (May 31).
The military-owned facility will host international and local stars for the sixth stop of this year’s World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Series with a slew of current and past Olympic and world champions expected to start.
Speaking to this website on Monday (May 28), World Athletics Vice-President; President, Lt. Gen (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei, said the installation of the air sensor was in line with the global governing body’s requirements.
“We thank the Ministry of Defence for allowing us to use of Ulinzi Sports Complex and for supporting the installation of the air quality sensor.
"It's a World Athletics requirement that venues hosting international championships meet clean air standards. This ensures that athletes, both local and international, compete in environments where the air is not only safe, but verified,” Tuwei, who is also the Athletics Kenya (AK) chief said.
The sensors measure pollutants like particulate matter (PM), which can negatively impact athletes' respiratory health and performance.
The installation, done in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Stockholm Environment Institute, allows AK to collect real-time air quality data before and during the event.
Data collected then helps inform strategies for improving air quality, including creating greenbelts and planting trees around stadiums.
"This week's readings will reflect the air conditions athletes experience. It's part of our broader vision to make Kenya a premier destination for world-class competitions in venues certified for clean air," Tuwei added.
Earlier this month, the Tuwei led the federation to a tree-planting exercise during the World Athletics Kids’ Relays activation day.
Elite Athletes
"We want to nurture a generation that understands the deep link between sport and the environment," the athletics boss underscored.
Already, air quality monitors have been permanently installed at Moi International Sports Complex (MISC), Kasarani and Nyayo National stadiums both in Nairobi.
Nyayo was initially slated to host the 2025 Kip Keino Classic but continuing works in the facility as well as MISC saw the one-day track and field meet moved to the 10,000-seater Ulinzi which was opened in 2022.
The Eliud Kipchoge Training Complex in Nandi County and the Lobo Village in Kapseret— the venue for the annual Sirikwa Classic Gold Label Cross Country are the other facilities in Kenya with permanent air quality monitoring sensors.
Other beneficiaries of the equipment include rural and urban schools known for producing elite athletes—St. Patrick’s Iten, Maseno High School, Kwanthanze Secondary School in Machakos, and venues such as Nakuru Athletics Club and Raila Amolo Odinga Stadium in Homa Bay.
"These initiatives do more than support elite competitions. They safeguard communities. If pollution levels spike, we alert NEMA or county authorities to take corrective action," said Maxwell Nyamu, AK's Sustainability Officer and member of the Sports for Climate Action team.
The air monitors also track temperature levels to guide safe event scheduling, a crucial factor as global warming reshapes weather patterns across East Africa.
According to Nyamu, environmental sustainability is now influencing how venues to host athletics events in the country are selected.
"Every town wants to host athletics events for their economic and social benefits. But we've made it clear, if a venue can’t meet environmental standards, it can't host an international competition.
"This has prompted cities to take pollution seriously," he stressed.
With sustainability now embedded in Kenya’s athletics, the Absa Kip Keino Classic is no longer just a race for glory; it’s a step toward greener, safer, and more globally responsible sports.
-By Robert Kibet | Freelance Journalist
-Photo Credits: Peter Njoroge
