Uganda Secures $129 Million Deal for Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium in Lira

The Ugandan government has finalized a significant $129 million agreement with Egypt’s SAMCO National Construction Company for the construction of the Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium in Lira City. With a seating capacity of 20,000, this state-of-the-art facility is named in honor of Uganda’s legendary Olympic gold medalist, John Akii-Bua.

The contract signing ceremony took place at State House Nakasero, where the Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, officiated the event. Muhammad Bbaale, representing the National Council of Sports (NCS), inked the agreement on behalf of the government, while Engineer Ibrahim Abdelaziz Mahmoud Mabrouk represented the Egyptian firm.

Describing the ambitious plans for the stadium, Peter Ogwang, the state Minister for Sports, highlighted that the venue will boast impressive amenities, including a main athletics stadium, two training fields complete with changing rooms, a 2,000-seat indoor multi-sport arena, and a 25-meter semi-Olympic swimming pool. The design also incorporates outdoor courts for basketball, netball, volleyball, and badminton, along with parking facilities for 1,000 vehicles.

The stadium’s infrastructure will further include roads, utilities, a sewerage treatment plant, advanced ICT systems, perimeter fencing, and robust security installations. Additional facilities such as a clubhouse, a 60-room hostel, and five sports pitches will enhance the overall experience.

This ambitious project marks Uganda’s second major stadium initiative in recent months. Back in June, the Ministry of Education and Sports contracted M/S SUMMA, a Turkish company, for the construction of the 20,000-seat Hoima Multi-Purpose Stadium.

Ogwang took to social media to announce the successful signing of the contract:

“Deal done! Yesterday, we signed the contract for the construction of Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium at State House, Nakasero. The contractor-SAMCO is expected to complete works in 20 months.”

In addition to the Hoima stadium, the government also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Kyambogo University in May to upgrade one of its football pitches into a modern training facility ahead of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 tournament.

This 14.3-billion-shilling initiative, carried out under the UPDF Engineering Brigade, is among the nine venues being developed for the continental tournament. It will include natural grass, a standard irrigation system, and floodlights to facilitate night training sessions.

At present, Uganda is equipped with only one CAF-approved stadium, the Mandela National Stadium (Namboole), which is set to host the upcoming Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) scheduled from February 1 – 24, 2025.

Ogwang remains optimistic, stating that despite the current limitations, he envisages having at least four training facilities operational by the commencement of the tournament.

“For CHAN, we will exclusively use Namboole along with four additional training venues. We are addressing a few challenges, but we are committed to ensuring all facilities are ready by February 1, 2025,” – he said.

This announcement follows closely on the heels of a recent inspection by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which assessed the readiness of Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania to host both CHAN and AFCON.

CAF has recently bestowed upon East Africa the privilege of hosting the 2025 CHAN tournament, which will serve as a precursor to the 2027 AFCON. This event will be crucial in assessing the preparedness of the three nations for the larger continental tournament.

Unlike AFCON, CHAN—established in 2009—uniquely features players who are exclusively drawn from their respective national leagues.

Source: footboom1.com

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Samuel

I am a journalist specializing in gambling in Africa and around the world. I am particularly interested in stories about games and casinos.

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Samuel

I am a journalist specializing in gambling in Africa and around the world. I am particularly interested in stories about games and casinos.