The Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni has approved the extension of the initial completion date of Mandela National Stadium (Namboole) renovation works from August 1st, to November 30th, 2023.
This follows her recent inspection of the stadium together with officials from her ministry as well as those from the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) who confirmed that the stadium will not be ready by August 1st.
According to Ms Museveni, the renovation plan incorporates numerous critical upgrades of the stadium including; the integration of a state-of-the-art ticketing and access control system, installation of solar lighting to mitigate utility costs, and establishment of an efficient drainage and irrigation system.
“The projects further involve the creation of a 4.2km perimeter wall, along with the refurbishment and elevation of the Namboole stadium and hotel to match international standards,” the minister said in a Tuesday tweet.
“In light of these significant undertakings, I have approved an extension for these intervention efforts, shifting the initial completion date from August 1st, 2023, to November 30th, 2023. This extension was granted upon request by the project’s main contractor, the UPDF Engineering Brigade,” the tweet reads further.
In April, FUFA President Eng. Moses Magogo called for the cancellation of contracts for both companies and contractors currently undertaking rehabilitation works at Mandela National Stadium for delaying the project.
This followed the contractors’ failure to complete the stadium by June 12 when Uganda Cranes hosted Algeria. Instead, the home game was played in Cameroon.