Govt could spend Shs 38bn on Namboole

The government could spend up to $10 million or Shs 38 billion on the renovation and upgrade of Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.

In its recent report after inspection, Africa’s football governing body, Caf, declared Namboole unfit to host international matches such as World Cup qualifiers. With the national football team, The Cranes, scheduled to host its 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers in the stadium, the government has embarked on immediate plans to refurbishment the facility.

However, the official cost, source of funding and the project’s implementation period are yet to be determined. Speaking to The Observer on May 18, the state minister for sports Hamson Obua said the renovation will be done in stages, but he could not readily attach any costs or time frame.

Obua explained: “At this stage it requires a needs assessment (report); production of bill of quantities for renovation and upgrade; presentation of bill of quantities to Cabinet for consideration and approval; parliament for appropriation and once funding is secured, PPDA Act applies.

“The budget will be determined by needs assessment that will produce bill of quantities. Source of funding will be determined by Cabinet when bill of quantities is produced and presented for consideration and approval.”

When contacted the principal communication officer in the ministry of Works and Transport, Susan Kataike, said they have already assembled a team of surveyors, engineers and architects to carry out a needs assessment and a report is expected within 30 days (from May 16). But an official, who is knowledgeable and part of the team on the stadium’s operations, said the overall refurbishment would at least cost $10 million or Shs 38 billion.

“The last time the stadium carried out minor renovations (in 2010), it cost almost $3 million... so, expect it to shoot up at least three times,” the official, who did not want to be named, told The Observer. China-funded the construction of the stadium to a tune of $36 million before it was opened in 1997.

CAF RECOMMENDATIONS

After inspecting the stadium in March, a Caf team, which comprised Emmanuel Newton Dasoberi and Owofen Daniel Amokachi, faulted Namboole management for failing to regularly repair the facility.

The Caf team recommended that the stadium’s dressing rooms, playing surface, seats in the general public stands and lighting system (floodlights) must be repaired or upgraded.

The media and VIP sections should also be improved by installing desks and air conditioners (ACs), among others. If the above are worked on, the stadium will primarily get back its status of hosting World Cup qualifiers, the report states.

Uganda is pooled in group E alongside Kenya, Rwanda and Mali for the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers, which are expected to resume early next year due to the prevailing Covid-19 uncertainty on sports events.

However, government plans extended upgrade on the stadium in the long term. Obua said the initiate renovation stage which includes improvement on dressing rooms, running track and the football playing surface, should be done in six months.

Jamil Ssewanyana, the managing director of Namboole stadium, said more extensive works will be done on other parts of the stadium: “We intend to have a more executive directors’ box sitting area like we see in some of the best stadia around the world,” he said.

Yet, that will not be all according to Ssewanyana. Presently, the 40,000- capacity Namboole stadium only has 7, 000 seats. Going forward, the entire stadium should be all-seater. Ssewanyana said that all seats will have backrests, to give spectators comfort.