By Frank Kamuntu
His Excellency, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, held a meeting with H.E. Andrii Pravednyk, the Ambassador Ukraine to Uganda, on Friday, May 7, 2024, at State House, Entebbe.
The Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Kenya’s areas of responsibility include Burundi, Malawi, Union of Comoros Islands, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda.
During the meeting, President Museveni and Ambassador Pravednyk engaged in fruitful discussions, addressing various areas of mutual interest such as economic cooperation, trade relations, and security.
The courtesy call underscored the commitment of both Uganda and Ukraine to strengthening their diplomatic ties and exploring new avenues for collaboration.
In another national news, the Government of Uganda has signed a contract with M/S SUMMA, a Turkish Company, for the construction of a 20,000-seater Hoima multi-purpose stadium ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Hoima Stadium is among those that Uganda plans to host matches during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which it will co-host with Kenya and Tanzania. The stadium will be constructed within 18 months and is required to be ready by December 2025. The Ministry of Works and Transport, supported by the recently inaugurated Africa Cup of Nations Sub-Committee on Infrastructure, will supervise this project.
The contract signing ceremony was hosted by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet Museveni, at State House Nakasero on Friday, June 7th, 2024.
Dr. Bernard Patrick Ogwel signed on behalf of the Government of Uganda and the National Council of Sports in his capacity as the Secretary General of NCS, while Selim Bora signed on behalf of M/S Summa Construction Company. The process was guided by John Bosco Suza, the Director of Legal Advisory Services, who represented the Attorney General.
Also present were the Security Minister, Major General Jim Muhwezi; State Minister for Finance and Planning, Amos Lugoloobi; Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba; State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Balaam Barugahara; Hoima City East Division MP, Dr. Isingoma Patrick; and Mayor Kaboyo Brian. Others included Permanent Secretaries Ketty Lamaro and Dorcas Okalany, senior government officials, members of the business community, the sports fraternity, and representatives from M/S Summa Company.
Prior to the contract signing, the Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba, handed over a land title of 34.9 acres for the Hoima City Stadium. The title, in the name of the National Council of Sports, was given to the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet Museveni, who then handed it to the Chairman of the National Council of Sports, Ambrose Tashobya.
Mrs. Janet Museveni appreciated all the people who have been proactive in the process of developing sports infrastructure in preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations 2027. She mentioned President Yoweri Museveni, the Rt. Hon Prime Minister, the Legislature, the Federation of Uganda Football Association, the
family of the late Dr. James Rujumba, the Business Community, and the general public, whom she thanked for their invaluable support and passion for football and sports in general.
“Today marks the culmination of the tireless efforts of various people from both the government and the private sector who have gone beyond the call of duty to ensure that we begin the process of developing sports infrastructure in preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations 2027,” said Mrs. Museveni.
She said that, following the wise counsel of President Museveni, M/S Summa was secured to undertake construction works for the stadium in Hoima City within 18 months. This is because it is highly recommended as the contractor that has changed the face of sports infrastructure with our friends and neighbours in Rwanda, Senegal, and other countries across the world.
Mrs. Museveni appealed to M/S Summa to ensure that Uganda has a 20,000- seater multi-sport stadium of international standards ready for inspection by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) by 31st December 2025. “Do not let Ugandans down because hosting the Africa Cup of Nations is a golden opportunity whose benefits go beyond football to a country,” she stressed.
She emphasized the need to ensure value for money in this project because we are all accountable to the taxpayers of Uganda.
She also appealed to the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development to ensure that resources are released on time to avoid disruptions during project implementation due to the very tight deadline.
The Education and Sports Minister reassured Ugandans of the Government’s commitment to developing other stadiums, including Akii Bua, Buhinga, and Kakyeka, among others. She stated that this is in addition to other sports infrastructure developments like the Lugogo Sports Complex and the second and third phases of the National High Altitude Training Centre in Teryet, Kapchorwa.
She also said that the government is taking deliberate action to invest in sports infrastructure in order to develop and professionalize the abundant talent in different disciplines and to generate revenue. Therefore, she tasked the Minister of State for Sports with developing a concept for the management of all sports facilities to ensure that the government benefits from its investments.
She called on Ugandans to emulate the example set by the late Rujumba’s family to sacrifice and put the service of our country above one’s own interests. The late Rujumba’s family donated 10 acres of land where the stadium will be constructed.
FUFA donated an additional 10 acres, and the remaining 14 acres were secured with funding from the Government of Uganda.
In her remarks, presented by the Security Minister, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja described the signing of the contract for the construction of the Hoima Stadium as a landmark event, that advances the NRM Government’s transformative development agenda as guided by President Museveni.
She commended President Museveni and the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet Museveni, for their unwavering efforts towards the realization of this high-impact project, which will increase the stock of strategic sports infrastructure in Uganda.
She also appreciated M/S Summa for partnering with the government in the construction of the Hoima Stadium.
The Sports Minister, Peter Ogwang, reported that M/S Summa has done an excellent job in the construction of the Kigali Arena and the renovation of the state-of-the-art Amahoro Stadium. He requested M/S Summa not to abuse the trust that Uganda has placed in them as the constructors of the Hoima Stadium, but to deliver an excellent job on the people’s project by 31st December 2025.
He pointed out the need for Uganda to develop holistic plans to tap into sports tourism to generate revenue for the country. He cited Rwanda as an example, which he said generates almost one billion US dollars for the government every year from sports tourism.
Ogwang also reported that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs to undertake works for the construction of training facilities, starting with Kyambogo University grounds.
