Ongoing rehabilitation of Mandela National Stadium (Namboole) will be complete by November this year. The Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni has approved the extension of the initial completion date of renovation works from August 1st, to November 30th, 2023.
This follows her recent inspection of the stadium together with officials from her ministry. Additionally, she was accompanied by Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) who confirmed the stadium will not be ready by August.
According to Ms Museveni, the renovation plan incorporates numerous critical upgrades of the stadium. This include integration of a state-of-the-art ticketing and access control system. Additionally, installation of solar lighting to mitigate utility costs, and establishment of an efficient drainage and irrigation system.
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Importance of the Namboole stadium
“The projects further involve the creation of a 4.2km perimeter wall, along with the refurbishment and elevation of the Namboole stadium and hotel to match international standards,” the minister said in a Tuesday tweet.
“In light of these significant undertakings, I have approved an extension for these intervention efforts, shifting the initial completion date from August 1st, 2023, to November 30th, 2023. This extension was granted upon request by the project’s main contractor, the UPDF Engineering Brigade,” the tweet reads further.
In April, FUFA President Eng. Moses Magogo called for the cancellation of contracts for both companies and contractors. This followed prolonged delay in undertaking rehabilitation works at Mandela National Stadium for delaying the project. This followed the contractors’ failure to complete the stadium by June 12 when Uganda Cranes hosted Algeria. Moreover, the home game was played in Cameroon.
The 97 billion rehabilitation project started last year and has met a number of shortcomings and challenges. Among the challenges include land wrangle and delayed supply deliveries. Completion of the stadium will save the country resources used in hosting home national team matches in foreign countries.
