Members of Parliament have questioned the delayed completion of Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.
The concerns were raised by the Chief Opposition Whip, Hon. John Nambeshe, during plenary on Thursday, 11 April 2024 chaired by Speaker Anita Among.
Nambeshe, also Manjiya County MP, noted that during a pre-inspection visit, they discovered that the works at the stadium are still ongoing and not in compliance with the required scope.
Furthermore, he established that the stadium has not yet been approved for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2026. “Up to now, the works are still not complete. The inspection report found that the stadium works is not compliant with the requirement and has not been approved by the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers,” he said.
He urged the Ministry of Education and Sports to ensure timely completion of the work on the multi-purpose stadium before the FIFA inspection.
Hon. Silas Aogon, the MP for Kumi Municipality reiterated the call for a status report. He petitioned the minister to explain in detail the issues affecting the Stadium.
“The minister needs to tell us what is going on. He should be clear with us. You assured us that everything will be okay, now we are asking what is wrong?” he asked.
Hon. Jonathan Odur, the MP for Erute County South, acknowledged the advantages of the Uganda Cranes team playing at home, citing home support, direct motivation, and reduced team expenditures.
He, however, queried the prolonged re-development process, highlighting nearly five missed deadlines, and requested the line minister to furnish the House with a comprehensive report.
“Namboole Stadium is a precondition for hosting the Champions of the African Nations, (CHAN), not even the African Cup of Nations, (AFCON). We have two games coming up and we cannot host them because the stadium is not ready. Could the minister please furnish us with the details?” Odur requested.
The Government Chief Whip, Hon. Denis Hamson Obua, confirmed that the stadium was inspected by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), noting substantive progress. He mentioned that the CAF inspectors recommended changes in certain areas.
“We as a country have made substantive progress, and there are areas where the inspectors highly recommended some changes,” Obua stated.
The Speaker directed the minister to provide a comprehensive report on the status of Namboole Stadium and the accountability of the Shs97 billion allocated for the same.
The Mandela National Stadium Limited is a public liability company with the Ministry of Education and Sports, and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development as the only shareholders.
