Hoima City leadership has called for an investigation into the management of Hoima City Stadium by NLS Company following repeated sit-down strikes by workers over delayed payments.
The city leadership, led by Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Badru Mugabi, says the situation has raised concerns over the management of a facility that cost the Ugandan government USD 129 million and is expected to play a key role in hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Currently, casual workers at the stadium are on strike after allegedly going unpaid for three months. The RCC says this is the sixth time workers have laid down their tools over delayed payments by the management company.
Mugabi said city authorities have repeatedly engaged NLS Company managers over the matter but have not received satisfactory responses.
“We have kept quiet for long, but the situation at Hoima City Stadium is disturbing. We have managed six sit-down strikes so far. Even when the Cabinet was coming, we had a strike, and we only intervened to manage the same issue of delayed payments by NLS Company,” Mugabi said.
Hoima City Mayor Edward Isingoma said the city leadership cannot continue watching workers provide services without receiving their wages.
He raised concerns that some workers at the facility do not have formal contracts and allegedly work under fear of dismissal whenever they demand their rights.
“Hoima City Stadium is a good project, delivered on time, but the problem now is management. NLS is giving us a headache. People are working at such a facility without contracts, and some are dismissed when they demand what they have worked for. What kind of life is this?” Isingoma questioned.
Following the continued disputes, RCC Mugabi said he has officially raised concerns with relevant authorities, calling for a procurement audit into how the contract was awarded.
He also warned that if NLS Company cannot effectively manage the stadium, another contractor should be considered.
“Let me be on record that I am blowing the whistle as provided by law. I am asking for a procurement audit into how the contract was awarded. The National Council of Sports is in charge of the stadium with a bad contract. It was awarded even as the financial year was ending, with no clear terms. We cannot allow such a facility to go to waste,” Mugabi said.
Hoima City Stadium is among the facilities expected to host matches and activities during the 2027 AFCON tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA), Reverend Benson Turamye, who listened to the workers’ complaints, said the concerns raised require urgent attention.
Turamye said PPDA would engage relevant authorities to establish the challenges affecting the facility’s management and ensure workers’ concerns are addressed.
“We will follow up. These are very valid concerns being raised by casual workers. We also have the capacity to blacklist a company that does not meet the required standards. We will ensure these people are paid within a week and that fair working conditions are put in place,” he said.
