Gov’t Unveils Mega Plan to Turn Bugembe’s Kyabazinga Stadium into 20,000-Seater Sports City

Jinja-The Ugandan government has unveiled plans to transform Kyabazinga Stadium, commonly known as Bugembe Stadium, into a modern multi-purpose sports complex that will seat up to 20,000 spectators.

The proposed redevelopment is part of a wider national programme led by the National Council of Sports to upgrade sports infrastructure around the country, with authorities saying the project will open up more opportunities for athletes in the Busoga sub-region and the broader eastern Uganda area.

Milton Chebet, Assistant General Secretary for Technical Affairs at the National Council of Sports, said the upgraded facility will go well beyond a simple facelift. According to Chebet, the plans include a 20,000-seat main stadium, additional training grounds, a standard athletics running track, and an indoor sports arena designed to host activities such as boxing and basketball.

Chebet added that Bugembe Stadium and Mbale Stadium have both been identified as priority projects for eastern Uganda under the national sports infrastructure development programme, though construction at Bugembe is expected to begin in a later phase of the programme rather than immediately.

The ambitious plans, however, come with complications on the ground. Officials have raised concerns about land encroachment around the stadium, with reports indicating that some individuals have put up permanent structures on sections of land originally set aside for the sports facility. The encroachments could prove a significant obstacle to the full rollout of the project, and it remains unclear whether the government intends to compensate those currently occupying the disputed land.

Kyabazinga Stadium is owned by the Busoga Kingdom and has served as one of eastern Uganda’s most important sporting venues for many years, hosting regional football matches and community events that have made it a fixture in the life of the Busoga region.