Completion of Nakivubo Stadium’s exterior façade marks a major milestone in the redevelopment project, Kampala City tycoon Hamis Kiggundu confirms.

Once complete, the 40,000-seater Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium once completed will house sports activities like athletics, netball, bodybuilding, basketball, volleyball, among other sports activities, apart from the main football facility.

Ham, as he is popularly known, noted that the exterior facade of the seating arena and drainage works are now complete.

“The hardest bit of work is done and what is left is to complete the different utilities going to be hosted at the stadium,” he said.

To deliver on the legacy commitments, Nakivubo will feature a gym, medical facility, restaurants and other amenities. With a capacity of 50,000, Nakivubo will be host to several sports disciplines such as football, volleyball, athletics and boxing, among others. Ham also implored Ugandans to embrace a mentality of belief in such mega projects.

“The Nakivubo redevelopment project is not just a sports project; this is a legacy. If I can, you too can do more to make Uganda a successful country with reason,” he said.

“Oftentimes, multimillion-dollar projects are given to foreigners but with the progress of the redevelopment, I want to create a mindset shift that we can also do it.”

In 2017, government decided to bring down the old dilapidated stadium after years of neglect and whereas the redevelopment was projected to last four years, the Covid-19 pandemic slowed it down.

If completed, the redevelopment of Nakivubo stadium could come in handy for Uganda’s bid to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals with neighbouring Tanzania.

Currently, the Nelson Mandela stadium, Namboole, the other major stadium in the country, is also undergoing refurbishment to meet the required standards to host tournaments of Afcon’s magnitude.