Summary:
- The contract signing ceremony was held at State House Nakasero on Friday, December 6, 2024, and was presided over by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet Museveni.
KAMPALA: The Government of Uganda has signed a contract with Egypt’s SAMCO National Construction Company to construct the 20,000-seat Akii Bua Olympic Stadium in Lira City.
The contract signing ceremony was held at State House Nakasero on Friday, December 6, 2024, and was presided over by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet Museveni.
Muhammad Bbaale, the Accounting Officer of the National Council of Sports (NCS), signed on behalf of the Government of Uganda, while Engineer Ibrahim Abdelaziz Mahmoud Mabrouk represented SAMCO National Construction Company. The Solicitor General, Pius Biribonwoha, witnessed the ceremony.
During the event, Mrs. Museveni handed over an 18.455-hectare land title for the stadium’s construction to Ambrose Tashobya, Chairperson of the NCS.
Hon. Peter Ogwang, the State Minister for Sports, described the stadium as a landmark development for Lira City. The facility will include a 20,000-seat main stadium with an athletic track, a 2,000-seat multi-sport indoor arena, a 25-meter semi-Olympic swimming pool, outdoor courts for basketball, netball, volleyball, and badminton, as well as a 1,000-vehicle parking area.
The complex will also feature training facilities, a 60-room hostel, a fully furnished clubhouse for stadium operations, five sports pitches, and a borehole for cost-effective water maintenance. Supporting infrastructure includes access roads, utilities, ICT systems, a sewerage treatment plant, landscaping, perimeter fencing, and security systems.
Minister Ogwang acknowledged the delay in fulfilling President Museveni’s 2010 pledge to construct the stadium, attributing its realization to the unwavering commitment of the NRM government.
“To the people of Lango, I know you have been very impatient about this, but today the stadium is a reality, and we want full votes for NRM,” Ogwang said.
He thanked the local leadership of Lira City and District for their support and called on SAMCO to begin work immediately while ensuring the project is completed on time.
Minister Ogwang also appealed to Mrs. Museveni and President Museveni to commission the construction works formally.
