Construction of the Shs470 billion Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium in Lira City is 85 per cent complete, with the project entering its final finishing phase ahead of a scheduled handover on January 2, 2027.
Eng Mohammed Nazih, the project manager at SAMCO National Construction Company, the Egyptian firm contracted to build the facility, confirmed the progress in an interview at the site on Tuesday, October 27.
He said construction began on May 3, 2025, under a 20-month contract.
‘The main stadium structure is nearly finished, requiring only final touches,’ Eng Nazih said.
Mr Richard Takatamoe, a consultant at the Ministry of Works and Transport, told Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Trade and Tourism, which visited the site on Tuesday, that he was confident the project would meet its deadline.
He said construction teams were working on the remaining sections simultaneously to save time.
The stadium is among the facilities being prepared for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Uganda will co-host with Kenya and Tanzania.
Two zones
The project is divided into two zones. Zone I covers the main stadium, entrance gates and parking areas, while Zone II comprises a multi-purpose complex with a 2,000-seat mini arena, a 60-bed hotel and a clubhouse.
Eng Nazih said the complex would also include a swimming pool, training pitches and tennis courts.
Supporting infrastructure includes a 1.8km ring road, on which work has started, and 1.5km of perimeter fencing with 23 gates.
Hybrid turf takes shape
Eng Emre Frisik of Turkey-based Integral Group, a subcontractor to SAMCO, said work had shifted from major infrastructure installation to cultivating the stadium’s hybrid turf.
Integral Group is responsible for the athletic surfaces and spectator facilities, including the main stadium pitch, the main and secondary training pitches, and five-a-side courts. The company has also installed two athletics tracks, including a first-class track in the main stadium.
Its scope also covers spectator seating, the scoreboard and interior facilities such as players’ changing rooms, PVC flooring, saunas and squash courts.
As of October 27, the scoreboard and primary pitches were reported to be 100 per cent complete.
‘With the physical construction of the pitches finished, the primary focus has shifted to maintenance, which involves the careful cultivation of the hybrid grass system,’ Eng Frisik said.
The turf combines 80 per cent natural grass with 20 per cent artificial fibres to improve durability and performance.
The main pitch was seeded last week, and engineers are carrying out frequent irrigation and monitoring conditions, including sun exposure, to ensure the grass develops into a professional-standard playing surface.
Resident impressed by progress
Mr William Achol, a Lira City resident and executive director of Corruption Brakes Crusade (COBRA), said he was impressed by the progress after touring the site.
‘I have looked at the football pitch, I have looked at the seating arrangements, I have also sat on some of those seats,’ he said.
‘I have gone round to other projects meant to support this place, like the swimming pool. I have seen very many buildings coming up, which I think are all intended to raise funds for the stadium itself once the [Africa Cup of Nations] is over.’
He said the seating was in place, including folding chairs, adding that the progress made so far was encouraging.
Stadium facilities
The complex is designed to accommodate 20,000 spectators in the main stadium, which will have an athletics track and training facilities with at least two changing rooms.
Other facilities include a 2,000-seat indoor multi-sport arena, a 25-metre semi-Olympic swimming pool, outdoor basketball, netball, volleyball and badminton courts, and parking space for 1,000 vehicles.
The project also includes access roads, utilities, information and communications technology systems, a sewage treatment plant, landscaping, perimeter fencing and security systems.