Kampala, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | Anita Among, the Speaker of Parliament, has issued a directive for the immediate removal of Pioneer Buses parked at the Mandela National Stadium complex, also known as Namboole Stadium.
This decision came after Ms. Among, accompanied by a delegation from Parliament led by Commissioner Mathias Mpuuga, inspected the premises.
Ms. Among stressed the seriousness of the matter, insisting that Peter Ogwang, the Minister of State for Sports, should address the issue as the top agenda item in Parliament the following morning.
“We no longer need scrap in our premises if we have a beautiful smart stadium here,” she emphasized, highlighting the need to restore the integrity of the stadium grounds.
Furthermore, Ms. Among emphasized the importance of preserving the stadium property for sporting events and called for transparency in such decisions. She advocated for any alternative use of the land to undergo public scrutiny.
Ms. Among also called for an investigation into the government’s Non-Tax Revenue (NTR) earnings and the lease of Namboole Stadium land to Pioneer Buses.
According to project engineer Peter Seku Kidemuka, the renovation and enhancement of the Mandela National Stadium are set to be completed by May 25, 2024.
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The project commenced in August 2022, with significant progress made in the renovation process, funded by a budget of Shs 97 billion. To ensure the project’s timely completion, Parliament urged State Minister of Finance Amos Lugoloobi to release the final Shs 17.7 billion last week.
Kidemuka stressed the importance of prioritizing repairs to meet the requirements set by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), especially with major tournaments like the African Nations Championship in September 2024 and the World Cup qualifiers in June 2024 looming.
The urgency of resolving issues such as the removal of Pioneer buses underscores the need to ensure that the stadium renovations are successfully completed within the allocated timeframe.
