Hoima gear up for AFCON

Hoima City stadium has quickly become Hoima’s biggest attraction, a striking sports facility built to international standards in just 14 months by Turkish company SUMMA.

The Shs 152 billion project, funded from the Petroleum Fund after Parliament’s appropriation and approval in May 2024, is the biggest investment from the fund so far.

The stadium will host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon 2027), its first major continental assignment, but its multi-purpose design allows it to stage a wide range of sporting and non-sporting events.

During a recent Judiciary field visit to Uganda’s oil and gas region, conducted in partnership with the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), Bank of Uganda (BoU) and Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), National Council of Sports (NCS) chairperson Ambrose Tashobya led a tour of the facility.

The indoor Sports Arena is fitted with grey and orange fixed and retractable seats, with capacity for 2,000 spectators. It can host basketball, netball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, martial arts, boxing and kickboxing.

It also has facilities for People with Disabilities (PWDs) and a media area. The main oval stadium seats 20,000 and features a hybrid football pitch, running track, floodlights, scoreboards and modern dugouts.

The hybrid surface combines synthetic carpet with natural grass, allowing the roots to anchor firmly. Chief Justice Dr. Flavian Zeija even took time to play football on the pitch. The facility includes four sets of changing rooms, a gym, swimming pool, training pitch, medical and doping-control rooms, TV studio, Wi-Fi, conference facilities, media spaces and VIP and VVIP lounges.

Twelve skyboxes, each accommodating up to 12 people and served by a kitchen, are available for hire. The Presidential Suite is reserved for President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and his guests. Security and technology are equally impressive.

The computerized surveillance room, operated by the Uganda Police Force and an ICT team, has 279 cameras with facial recognition, while automated lighting, access control, fire alarms, emergency systems and remote building management help run the facility efficiently.

The stadium’s location is strategic, being close to Kabalega International Airport, which officials said the airport is 98 per cent complete. Government is adding a second passenger terminal capable of handling 1,000 passengers per peak hour. Afcon 2027 is already attracting investment.

Six five-star hotels in Hoima and Masindi are being upgraded or constructed, while investors are eyeing Kabalega Industrial Park. Alongside Hoima City stadium, Mandela National stadium (Namboole) and Akii Bua Olympic stadium will host Afcon matches, while Hoima Regional Referral hospital is also being upgraded.

Hoima is, therefore, preparing not just to host football, but to showcase Uganda’s growing capacity for major international events.

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