Featured image credit: State House Uganda
The Government of Uganda has agreed a deal with Egyptian development firm SAMCO for the construction of the Akii-Bua Stadium in the city of Lira.
The stadium is slated to have a capacity of 20,000 and will be used during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Uganda will co-host alongside Kenya and Tanzania.
The stadium is named after John Akii-Bua, who won a gold medal for Uganda in the 400m hurdles at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. Akii-Bua was the first Ugandan athlete to ever win an Olympic gold medal.
As well as football, Akii-Bua Stadium will be capable of hosting other sporting events, such as track and field competitions. The project is set to take 20 months to complete.
The wider stadium complex will also feature a 2,000-seat multi-sport indoor facility, a 25-metre semi-Olympic swimming pool, outdoor courts for basketball, netball, volleyball and badminton, and a 1,000-vehicle parking facility.
In August, work commenced on the 20,000-seat Hoima Stadium, which will be another of Uganda’s host venues during the Cup of Nations. The project is due to be completed by December 2025, with work being carried out by Summa Construction Inc.
According to reports, the Ugandan government will release around $200m (£157m/€190m) in January for the Akii-Bua Stadium and Hoima Stadium projects. The Akii-Bua Stadium project will cost around $129m.
Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania were announced as the host countries for the 2027 Cup of Nations in September 2023. It will mark the first time the event has taken place in East Africa since Ethiopia hosted in 1976, and the first time it has been played in three countries.
Algeria had been in the running to host the 2027 tournament but pulled out at the last minute, leaving the door open for the East African bid.
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