A section of people warming up during a recent fitness exercise at Pece stadium. Simon Wokorach
By Simon Wokorach
Gulu: The government will commission the construction of Akii-bua Stadium in the next two weeks to meet the international standard of hosting the African Cup of Nations.
The three East African States of Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania will jointly host the most prestigious African football competition’s next edition in 2027.
Part of the requirements established by the Confederation of African Football is for Uganda to have three standard stadiums, each with a capacity of 40,000 people.
Uganda is expected to remit shs114b to the Confederation of African Football by 2025. In January this year, the Budget Committee of Parliament allocated the funds required to the Federation.
The Committee also earmarked shs580 b as part of the shs52.7 trillion national budget for the 2024/2025 financial year, while shs380b was allocated for building the Hoima National Stadium.
The same funds will be used to construct Akii-bua Stadium and Buhimba Football Stadium, with each costing shs100b. The Committee further recommended Namboole National Stadium and Kyambogo Stadium as training grounds for players.
Mutasa II Stadium in Wankulukuku, Makerere University football field, Philip Omondi Stadium in Lugogo, and Old Kampala Playgrounds will all serve as training grounds for players from different countries.
Addressing a gathering in Gulu during a stakeholders’ engagement, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, confirmed the allocation of shs100b for building Akii-bua Stadium.
Nabbanja was responding to complaints from leaders in Lango Sub Region that the government was ignoring the development of Akii-bua Stadium.
Richard Cox Okello, the chairperson of Lira District, had earlier in the same meeting told the Prime Minister that if the government failed to construct Akii-bua Stadium, the NRM would lose in Lango in the 2026 general elections.
“If you want Lango to have peace and score well in the next election, make Akii-bua number one. But if you joke with Akii-bua, then you are joking with votes. Akii-bua is the heart of Lango and you must not joke with it,” Okello told Prime Minister Nabbanja.
The Chairperson of the Lango Parliamentary Group, Judith Alyek, further urged the government to speed up the process of building Akii-bua to host the African Cup of Nations.
Nabbanja noted the government has heavily invested in infrastructural development in Northern Uganda in the health sector, roads, and water and will do more on such developments.
With funds already allocated for building Akii-bua whose work commences in the next financial year, Nabbanja further noted that the President has directed that a road from Gulu to Lira City be constructed, and the one connecting Gulu Airport to Bank of Uganda in Gulu City.
She further explained that upgrading Gulu, Arua, and Lira into Cities was part of the government’s deliberate programs of rebuilding Acholi, Lango, and West Nile Sub Regions to boost their economy and create opportunities for growth and prosperity for people in the region.
“So, the people of Lango, if that was the condition then we are ready to move,” Nabbanja responded to Lango,” Nabbanja said.
Meanwhile, Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, the Member of Parliament for Bardege-Layibi Division said, negotiation is ongoing with the government for upgrading Pece War Memorial Stadium in Gulu, as a training ground for the teams coming to Uganda for Afcon 2027.
Ojara explained that this would improve the livelihoods of traders and investors in the hotel and hospitality industry, as well as cultural tourism.
