NOCK unveil high-performance centre plan in Nyahururu

In an effort to overhaul grassroots talent development across Kenya, National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) president Shadrack Maluki has unveiled plans to construct the organisation's first high-performance training centre in Nyahururu, Laikipia County.

Maluki made the announcement on Tuesday during NOCK's Extraordinary General Assembly in Nairobi, where delegates also approved updated membership criteria and formally welcomed three new governing federations into the country’s Olympic umbrella namely American Football, Skiing, and Lacrosse.

“This will be the first time for NOCK to own a state-of-the-art high-performance training facility. The piece of land sits on 42 acres and is at a higher altitude than Iten,” Maluki said.

Maluki explained that establishing a dedicated, self-owned training centre was vital for the committee's long-term autonomy.

“We want to be independent in growing talent. We are being intentional because, as NOCK, our business is sports and we have no facility where we can put our athletes for all disciplines.

“It was my dream to have a high-performance training centre where we can bring athletes over the weekend without spending money from our budget, and train them to conquer the world,” he further stated.

Nyahururu, a high altitude region leverages the conditions long favoured by Kenya's elite distance runners.

The move marks an intentional effort by NOCK to institutionalise access to the high-elevation climate that has powered the nation's distance-running legacy for decades.

This flagship facility advances Maluki’s broader agenda for Kenyan sport. Since stepping into the NOCK presidency, he has advocated for comprehensive athlete-support frameworks, including a specialized high-altitude recovery centre and a dedicated foundation addressing mental wellness and transition care for retired sportspeople.

Together, these initiatives reflect a holistic strategy prioritizing athlete welfare across every stage of a competitive career.

The Nyahururu centre is slated to serve as the primary training base for Team Kenya ahead of major multi-sport competitions, including the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

By modernising local training pipelines, NOCK aim to elevate national preparation standards and decrease dependency on foreign-based training environments.

Although construction schedules, capital requirements, and funding channels have not yet been made public, the project underscores NOCK's strategy to decentralise elite training infrastructure from the capital to key athletic regions.