President Museveni has emphasized the need to invest in sports infrastructure ahead of Uganda’s bid to host AFCON in 2027. He made the remarks during the commissioning of Nakivubo Stadium.
“I congratulate this young man, Ham Kigundu, on this achievement. Many people wanted this land, but he came to me with a plan, and I said, go ahead,” he said.
Reflecting on Uganda’s journey towards decentralization and private sector involvement, President Museveni highlighted the government’s shift in approach.
“Right now, we don’t care who owns which stadium. What we want are stadiums,” he said.
“Before NRM came into power, the government owned everything. They owned schools, hospitals, hotels, but we said let the private individuals come in,” he added.
The President emphasized the importance of leveraging private sector expertise to propel Uganda’s sports infrastructure forward.
“I call upon Ugandans to follow Kigundu’s example and invest in sports,” he said.
Nakivubo Stadium has been under reconstruction since 2017 after the government granted businessman Hammis Kigundu a 49-year lease to develop the land. The facility is expected to play a key role when Uganda host AFCON in 2027.
