Nakivubo Stadium grand opening set for next month

The grand opening of Nakivubo Stadium is set for June, 1, 2024, businessman, Hamis Kiggundu has said.

According to the program, the grand opening will have two test matches in which tax collectors, URA FC will play against Kitara FC while Express FC will host SC Villa in a Kampala derby.

The program also shows that there will also be a boxing match between Isaac Zebra and Ibrahim Kitaka.

President Museveni last month opened Nakviubo Stadium which has been developed by businessman Hamis Kiggundu famously known as Ham.

During the commissioning, President Museveni congratulated and thanked Ham for the good work of giving Nakivubo Stadium a state-of-the-art face-lift.

“Kiggundu is a young man who was born I think when the NRM had come to power, but he is a real NRM by being innovative and knowing that you can get prosperity in Uganda. This is what we have been telling you,” Museveni noted.

He said Kiggundu has been able to make things happen and develop his country because he believes in the philosophy of “yes we can”.

“I thank Kiggundu because he has been able to show that attitude not only in this project but even in other projects. When he came up with this idea, in my bush war ways of doing things, I quickly understood him because we bushwar fighters don’t take long to understand things. If you take a long time to make a decision you die,” he said.

“He had a clear idea. There’s a government asset called Nakivubo, you lease it to me, I develop it using private money and then cover my costs through the collections and also other businesses I will do around there for 49 years. So, this was clear, what is the problem? I told people to support this man, if he doesn’t perform

we throw him out, if he performs, he will recover his money because what we want is not a government stadium or a Church stadium; it is not important, what we want is a stadium in Uganda irrespective of who runs it and by the end of the day we all gain from it businesswise.”

Museveni also noted that the government needs investors such as Mr. Kiggundu to help it develop some assets that steer development of the country.

“If we get the private sector who can do this type of thing as guided by the government and according to the standards of the government then there’s really no problem. I have seen the facilities; I have been assured that they meet the standards of AFCON and other international groups so I’m very happy. Now we have Namboole which is a government one, this is also government but now leased to Kiggundu for 49 years and then we are going to build one or two others in Hoima and maybe Akii-Bua in Lira. In future we shall also have one zonal stadium in each zone.”

The stadium has a pitch, two suspended floors, a two-level pavilion, netball grounds and the roof.

The 35000-seater facility also houses other sports activities like athletics, netball and bodybuilding.