Hoima City, Uganda: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will tomorrow, Wednesday, December 24, officiate at the grand opening of the 20,000-seater Hoima City Stadium, a major milestone in Uganda’s preparations for co-hosting the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 finals.
The state-of-the-art multi-purpose facility was officially handed over to the Government of Uganda on Monday, December 22, by Turkish contractor SUMMA, after months of round-the-clock construction work that saw the project completed five months ahead of schedule.
The handover ceremony took place at the stadium and was presided over by Rev. Canon Dr Duncans Mugumya, Commissioner for Physical Education and Sports, representing the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Sports, Kedrace Turyagenda.
Officials from the Ministry of Works and Transport and the National Council of Sports (NCS) attended the ceremony, during which SUMMA was issued a certificate of completion.
SUMMA project manager Murat Altun led government officials on a guided tour of the facility before formally handing it over to NCS, headed by board chairperson Ambrose Tashobya.
Government officials commended President Museveni and First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni for providing political leadership and financial backing that enabled the project’s timely completion.
Opening Day Programme
According to the official programme released by NCS, gates will open at 9:00am, with access strictly controlled through an automated turnstile system to manage seating capacity.
Responding to public queries on X, NCS clarified that tickets for the event are not being sold, explaining that attendees—largely from Hoima City and the wider Bunyoro sub-region—will receive tickets solely for access and crowd management.
Activities lined up for the commissioning include a relay race, a football match between Kitara FC and KCCA FC, a rugby match on the auxiliary pitch, and a fireworks display to crown the day.
Uganda signed a USD 129 million (approximately Shs463 billion) contract with SUMMA in June 2024 to construct the stadium as part of AFCON 2027 infrastructure commitments, which Uganda will fulfil as co-host alongside Kenya and Tanzania.
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