Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has requested an additional Shs39 billion from Parliament to complete the renovation and upgrade of Philip Omondi Stadium in Lugogo, one of the venues earmarked for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) training.
Uganda will co-host the tournament with neighbours Kenya and Tanzania.
The funding request was presented to the Parliamentary Committee on Presidential Affairs during an inspection visit to the stadium on Thursday.
The committee, led by Chairperson Alex Byarugaba Bakunda, toured the facility alongside KCCA officials headed by Executive Director Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki to assess progress and funding gaps.
According to Buzeki, the total cost required to upgrade the stadium to Confederation of African Football (CAF) standards stands at Shs55 billion.
Of this amount, Shs16 billion has already been released and used to complete Phase One of the project. However, Phase II remains unfunded.
“We require more than Shs39 billion to complete the remaining works and ensure the stadium meets CAF requirements to host AFCON matches,” Buzeki told the committee.
She explained that several critical components are still pending, including construction of proper spectator seating, replacement of the playing surface, and installation of key infrastructure.
The current turf, she noted, expired in January and must be replaced to comply with international standards.
Other outstanding works include modern dressing rooms for players and coaches, installation of floodlights, a reliable power supply system with a standby generator, improved water systems, and additional supporting facilities required for hosting international tournaments.
Uganda is set to co-host Afcon 2027, with the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) identifying five stadiums across the country to host matches.
The Philip Omondi Stadium is among the facilities expected to serve as a venue once upgraded to meet Caf standards.
During the inspection, committee members sought clarification on KCCA’s annual sports budget.
Buzeki revealed that the authority receives Shs4.1 billion for its six sports clubs and has so far received Shs16 billion for the Philip Omondi Stadium project.
However, she noted that in the current financial year, the multi-year stadium project was listed as an unfunded priority.
Parking space concerns
Committee member Abubaker Kawalya raised concerns over parking constraints at the stadium, noting that spectators often rely on the nearby Forest Mall parking area, where private operators charge fees.
He questioned whether the arrangement would be sustainable during high-profile tournaments such as Afcon and also sought clarification on alleged land encroachment affecting the stadium premises.
In response, Buzeki acknowledged the concerns and assured lawmakers that both parking and land matters would be reviewed and addressed to safeguard the facility.
Committee Chairperson Alex Byarugaba Bakunda pledged to support the funding request.
“We shall engage Parliament to ensure that the necessary resources are provided so that this facility is ready within the required timelines,” he said.
The push for additional funding comes amid separate revelations by State Minister for Sports Peter Ogwang that Philip Omondi Stadium had been dropped from the list of Afcon training facilities.
Ogwang told the Parliamentary Budget Committee that although the stadium was initially identified as a potential training ground, guidance from Caf required natural grass pitches for training venues.
“At the first phase of identifying training pitches for Afcon, Philip Omondi Stadium was among those we had selected,” Ogwang said.
“However, after further guidance from Caf, it was made clear that training facilities must have natural grass to qualify.”
He said the government engaged KCCA management about upgrading the pitch, but the club was not ready to allow the installation of a natural grass surface.
“We had an engagement with the management of KCCA Football Club, but they were not ready to allow Philip Omondi Stadium to be upgraded to have natural grass pitches,” Ogwang said.
“As government, we had to look for alternative venues that fit within the guidance given by the Confederation of African Football.”
Ogwang confirmed that the stadium is no longer among the training facilities earmarked for AFCON-related works.
“For purposes of training facilities, I want to confirm to honourable members that as of now, they are not among the pitches we are going to undertake works on,” he said.
He nevertheless urged Parliament to support KCCA’s budget to complete works at Philip Omondi Stadium.
“It is important that we support the budget of KCCA as a sports organisation so that money is appropriated for the specific purpose of completing works at Philip Omondi Stadium as part of KCCA FC,” Ogwang added.
Established in 1963, the Philip Omondi Stadium remains one of KCCA’s key sports facilities, historically hosting football matches and community events.
With Uganda racing against time to upgrade infrastructure ahead of Afcon 2027, completion of the stadium is viewed as central to strengthening the country’s tournament readiness.