We want stadiums, ownership doesn’t matter – Museveni

However, Nakivubo Stadium cannot meet the strict standards required to host international matches.

By Isaac Okwi

NAKIVUBO | Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium is finally ready for use after it was commissioned by President Museveni, who on Thursday said it will not matter who owns such facilities.

“Right now, we don’t care who owns which stadium. What we want are stadiums,” Mr Museveni said as he emphasised the need to invest in sports infrastructure ahead of Uganda’s bid to host the Africa Cup of Nations in 2027.

Nakivubo Stadium has been under reconstruction since 2017 after the government granted businessman Hamis Kiggundu a 49-year lease to develop the land.

However, the facility, whose actual name is shrouded in a mystery after reports that Kiggundu has named it after his empire, cannot meet the strict standards required to host international matches.

The Confederation of African Football and the global soccer governing body, FIFA, cannot consider the refurbished stadium largely due to security concerns related to road network around it.

Nevertheless, Mr Museveni was over the moon for the facility, congratulating "this young man, Ham Kigundu, on this achievement".

He revealed that many people wanted the stadium land, but Mr Kiggundu had gone to him with the most convincing plan.

“Before NRM came into power, the government owned everything. They owned schools, hospitals, hotels, but we said let the private individuals come in,” he added.

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