KAMPALA, UGANDA: City Businessman and Mortposport Ace, Rajiv Ruparelia has announced plans to construct a multi-purpose stadium and other recreational establishments in Kampala to help promote and develop sporting talents in the country as well as providing for a leisure center for city dwellers.
While appearing on NBS TV Lunchtime Sports show on Wednesday, Mr. Rajiv, a son to Uganda’s richest man Sudhir Ruparelia revealed his grand plan to construct a stadium, with a football pitch, basketball court, several swimming pools, and a gym on global standards.
The move according to Mr. Rajiv is to aid sporting talents in Kampala which lacks sports facilities.
“I want to build a football stadium, a volleyball court, tennis court, all-weather pitch, gym and a conference facility for all the sports fraternity to use. Of course, there will be a fee, but a normal fee to use the facility,” said Rajiv.
Rajiv’s plans to develop modern sports facilities that offer employment opportunities to people and also a source of government revenue through tax collection has a challenge with Kololo Secondary School which is fighting for the playground.
“Some people want to grab the land. They want to be land grabbers. Unfortunately, this is not good for our society,” he said.
The contested land is located between Kololo Secondary School and Premier Academy, and it is jointly used by the two entities as a football playground.
“It is not Kololo SS land. The land belongs to Ruparelia Group, and is between Premier academy and Kololo SS, and jointly used by the two as a sports field.”
“They tell us they have the ability to develop it. They had all the time in the world to develop it, but they didn’t. It shocks me that they want to develop it at a time when I have the title and we also want to develop it,” Rajiv added.
Rajiv said his first step is to build a wall encircling the land, so as to control the inflow and outflow of people and that the project would take two to three years to be completed.
He however issued a stern warning to those who are making attempts to fail him in his meticulously conceived plan to develop the area.
Rajiv who is also the Managing director of Ruparelia Group revealed that he must go on with his plans of developing the area, regardless of anything.
“The grabbers use the LCs, they give some small money. I know who they give money to and what they do. They incite violence to try to stop development. It is extremely sad to try to take advantage of poor people like this,” Rajiv stated.
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