Construction of Hoima City Stadium to commence as govt inks deal with Turkish contract

The government of Uganda has signed a contract with M/S SUMMA, a Turkish Company, for the construction of a 20,000-seater Hoima multi-purpose stadium ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Hoima Stadium is among those that Uganda plans to host matches during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which it will co-host with Kenya and Tanzania.

According to the contract , the stadium will be constructed within 18 months and is required to

be ready by December 2025.

The Ministry of Works and Transport, supported by the recently inaugurated Africa Cup of Nations Sub-Committee on Infrastructure, will supervise this project.

The contract signing ceremony was hosted by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet Museveni, at State House Nakasero.

Bernard Patrick Ogwel signed on behalf of government  and the National Council of Sports in his capacity as the Secretary General of NCS, while Selim Bora signed on behalf of M/S Summa Construction Company.

The process was guided by John Bosco Suza, the Director of Legal Advisory Services, who represented the Attorney General.

Prior to the contract signing, the Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba, handed over a land title of 34.9 acres for the

Hoima City Stadium.

The title, in the name of the National Council of Sports, was given to the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet Museveni, who then handed it to the Chairman of the National Council of Sports, Ambrose Tashobya.

Mrs. Museveni appreciated all the people who have been proactive in the process of developing sports infrastructure in preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations 2027.

“Today marks the culmination of the tireless efforts of various people from both the government and the private sector who have gone beyond the call of duty to ensure that we begin the process of developing sports infrastructure in preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations 2027,” said Mrs. Museveni.

She said that, following advice from President Museveni,  M/S Summa was secured to undertake construction works for the stadium in Hoima City within 18 months.

She said the Turkish company was chosen because it is highly recommended as the contractor that has changed the face of sports infrastructure in Rwanda, Senegal, and other countries across the world.

Mrs. Museveni appealed to M/S Summa to ensure that Uganda has a 20,000- seater multi-sport stadium of international standards ready for inspection by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) by December, 31, 2025.

"Do not let Ugandans down because hosting the Africa Cup of Nations is a golden opportunity whose benefits go beyond football to a country," she stressed.

She emphasized the need to ensure value for money in this project because we are all accountable to the taxpayers of Uganda.

She also appealed to the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development to ensure that resources are released on time to avoid disruptions during project implementation due to the very tight deadline.

Mrs Museveni also assured Uganda's of government's commitment to developing other stadiums, including Akii Bua, Buhinga, and Kakyeka, among others.

She also said that the government is taking deliberate action to invest in sports infrastructure in order to develop and professionalize the abundant talent in different disciplines and to generate revenue.

She called on Ugandans to emulate the example set by the late Rujumba's family to sacrifice and put the service of our country above one's own interests.

The late Rujumba's family donated 10 acres of land where the stadium will be constructed.

FUFA donated an additional 10 acres, and the remaining 14 acres were secured with funding from the Government of Uganda.

The Prime Minister  Robinah Nabbanja described the signing of the contract for the construction of the Hoima Stadium as a landmark event, that advances government's transformative development agenda .

The Sports Minister, Peter Ogwang, reported that M/S Summa has done an excellent job in the construction of the Kigali Arena and the renovation of the state-of-the-art Amahoro Stadium.

He requested the company not to abuse the trust that Uganda has placed in them as the constructors of the Hoima Stadium, but to deliver an excellent job on the people's project .

Ogwang pointed out the need for Uganda to develop holistic plans to tap into sports tourism to generate revenue for the country.

He cited Rwanda as an example, which he said generates almost one billion US dollars for the government every year from sports tourism.