The Minister of State for Education and Sports, Hon. Peter Ogwang, has revealed that plans to construct Aki Bua Stadium in Lira City have been finalized after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Joint Venture of Khator Sports and SAMCO to construct the stadium in less than 20 months.
Ogwang revealed this on his official X page on Thursday, February 29, 2024, after visiting the site.
According to Ogwang, the contractor will finance and build the stadium on a pre-finance basis, and the sports facilitation project is critical in preparations to host AFCON 2027.
“The contractor will finance and build the stadium on a pre-finance basis. This sports infrastructure is a critical project in our preparations to host the 2027 AFCON, and therefore, it will be fast-tracked for its timely completion,” he stated.
He commended President Museveni, the First Lady, and Minister of Education and Sports Janet Museveni for identifying the contractor.
The sports complex will have the capacity to accommodate over 20,000 spectators and will cost over 70 million dollars.
In 2009, President Museveni pledged to construct Akii Bua Stadium in memory of John Akii-Bua, the first Olympic gold medalist.
On September 27, 2023, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarded hosting rights for the 36th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 to Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania under the East Africa joint Pamoja Bid.
The Akii Bua Olympic Stadium is one of the stadiums earmarked for construction in anticipation of hosting the AFCON 2027.
