Lugogo Sports Complex should not be forgotten

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Hoima City Stadium is progressing at such a scary pace, it is tempting to suspect the routine updates about the construction site are fake.

In just six months, the site has been transformed into the recognisable structure of a stadium whose ground floor is all but setup.

SUMMA, the Turkish contractor in charge of the project, revealed that works are already at 25%. And, get this, SUMMA’s target is to be through before December 2025. That is, 18 months.

It is ridiculous efficiency that raises all kinds of questions about major projects that came before, which either took forever to complete or are still underway after several years of construction.

There is a construction boom in Ugandan sport at the moment, with multiple projects underway as part of preparations for the 2027 AFCON, for which the government has to be given a lot of credit.

Although there are questions about the amount of money the government has poured into projects like Namboole and Teryet, SUM- MA’s efficiency is a breath of fresh air, and it will be interesting to see how quickly SAMCO build the Aki Bua Stadium once construction actually starts.

In all, Ugandan sport is on course to unveil three first-class stadiums in the next three years, with smaller ones like the Masaka Recreational Ground also in the pipeline.

The 15,000 Masaka facility is undergoing a sh16b-government-funded transformation that, judging by the artistic impressions, will make it extremely advantageous to sports in the region.

Amidst all this, one blunder must be avoided at all costs by the government. This construction boom must not be allowed to end without the transformation of the Lugogo Sports Complex.

SUMMA were more than ready to handle the project when the government seriously considered turning the complex into the home of a world-class indoor stadium, among other facilities.

Negotiations between the government and SUMMA were successful up to the point of President Yoweri Museveni issuing the executive go-ahead.

The project was ultimately put on hold until after the construction of the 2027 Afcon facilities. Or at least that is what the government promised.

But that promise should not be allowed to perish with time. Uganda desperately needs a world-class multi-sport indoor stadium.

Basketball and netball are the only priority sports that are still without a first-class facility. Football, athletics, and rugby have.

Moreover, an indoor stadium would cater to many more sports disciplines than basketball and netball. Boxing, handball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, taekwondo, and futsal would all benefit from it.

The Lugogo Sports Complex upgrade would complete the ongoing construction boom, and given the centrality of its location, economic sustainability and maintenance are much easier to guarantee.