Updated by Erick Kikomeko at 1556 EAT on Friday 26 December 2025

Hoima City — President Yoweri Museveni has officially commissioned Hoima City Stadium, describing it as a major national asset and urging residents to practice responsible waste disposal to safeguard the environment.
The newly opened stadium is expected to play a significant role in Uganda’s preparations to co-host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Kenya and Tanzania.

President Museveni said the facility was strategically constructed near an international airport to meet requirements set by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
“We initially wanted to build the John Aki-Bua Stadium, but CAF advised that any such facility must be located near an international airport. That is how we ended up here,” Museveni explained.
He noted that the government funded the project using domestic resources, attributing this to Uganda’s steadily built economic capacity.

“We have the money, but we cannot do everything at the same time. We have resources because we built our economy step by step,” the President said.
Museveni also called on residents of Hoima City to maintain proper waste management practices to protect the environment and preserve the stadium’s surroundings.

The President highlighted Uganda’s economic progress, pointing to achievements in food security, expanded irrigation, growth in manufacturing, and the rapid rise of service sectors such as tourism, hospitality, and the creative industry. He noted that hosting AFCON has presented an opportunity to fast-track infrastructure development in the region.
Museveni also commended the Turkish contractor, Summa, for delivering the stadium on time and within budget, and thanked the Rujumba family for providing the land. He praised local manufacturing, citing Ugandan-made buses that have attracted orders from as far as South Africa as evidence of the country’s growing industrial capacity.

First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Museveni, described the stadium as a “Christmas gift” to the nation and a testament to dedication and teamwork. She applauded the contractor’s exceptional commitment and patience, and urged other contractors to emulate the same standards.

“This is the Lord’s day, and we rejoice and are glad in it,” she said, adding that the stadium will deliver lasting benefits to Bunyoro and the country at large.
In his closing remarks, President Museveni cautioned the public against irresponsible waste disposal, emphasizing the need to keep the stadium and its surroundings clean.
“Let us not dispose of waste carelessly,” he said.
Hoima City Stadium is expected to boost sports development, tourism, and economic activity in the region as Uganda prepares to host continental and international sporting events.

Hoima City — The Hoima City Stadium project is being developed on a 16.8-hectare site (168,000 square metres) and will feature a 20,000-seater main stadium alongside a 2,000-seater mini arena. Other key facilities include a semi-Olympic swimming pool (25m by 12.5m), a standard football pitch measuring 68m by 106m, indoor and outdoor running tracks, two basketball courts, and two volleyball courts.
Supporting infrastructure comprises 839 parking spaces—720 open and 119 closed—one presidential suite, 12 sky boxes with VIP lounges, eight elevators, 59 sanitary units plus 13 designed for persons with disabilities, four dressing rooms, a 50-seater press conference room, 10 concession units, and five retail units.
At the peak of construction, the project employed 1,067 workers, with Ugandans accounting for 732 (69 per cent), Turks 266 (25 per cent), and 69 (6 per cent) drawn from other nationalities, reflecting strong local participation. The official project completion date is set for February 28, 2028.

The project traces its origins to April 2019, when the family of the late Dr James Rujumba donated 10 acres of land to the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) for the construction of a legacy stadium in Hoima. In October 2020, FUFA formalised the arrangement through a memorandum of understanding with the family.

By May 2024, the land holding had expanded to 34.9 acres following additional contributions from FUFA and the government, after which the land title was handed over to the National Council of Sports (NCS). The construction contract with Turkish firm M/S Summa was signed on June 7, 2024, at State House, Nakasero, clearing the way for construction works that commenced in September 2024.

Source: NRM Online

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