What Uganda's $130 million stadium looks like

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Wednesday officially inaugurated the new Hoima City Stadium, a landmark achievement in Uganda's preparations to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) alongside Kenya and Tanzania.

PHOTO. What Uganda's $130 million stadium looks like

The inauguration ceremony in Bunyoro sub-region attracted thousands of sports enthusiasts, local residents and dignitaries from across the nation and abroad.

The President was joined by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataaha Museveni, who was instrumental in overseeing the execution of the project.

Built by Turkish firm Summa International Construction Company Inc., the Hoima City Stadium is a $130 million state-of-the-art multi-sports complex.

The project was completed in a remarkable 12 months, four months ahead of schedule. The government had signed the construction contract in June 2024 as part of the “Pamoja Bid” project to host AFCON 2027.

The President of Uganda stepped onto the field and juggled a soccer ball

Addressing the large crowd, Museveni praised Summa for the efficiency and exceptional quality of their work, highlighting the project as a testament to what Uganda can achieve through effective planning and prioritization.

“I want to start by thanking the family of the late Rujumba for the land on which the stadium was built. Thank you for your patriotism! I want to thank the Turkish company for the good work. I saw the stadium and I also saw some of the roads they built. They are very good workers and we will do more with them,” Museveni said before officially declaring the stadium open.

In a symbolic gesture, the President walked onto the field and juggled a soccer ball at the midfield circle, delighting the thousands of fans in the stands.

Hoima City Stadium officially commissioned by His Excellency, Celebrating Christmas in style.
#Protectingthegains# pic.twitter.com/taqhzbAlmN

— Jovia Namara Tugume (@JoviaNamara) December 24, 2025

Situated on 137,593 square meters of land on the outskirts of Hoima, the complex includes a 20,000-seat open-air stadium designed for football, rugby and athletics. It also has a 2,000-seat indoor arena for sports such as basketball and volleyball.

President Yoweri Museveni: “We financed this stadium ourselves”

The President also addressed public speculation over the financing of the stadium, clarifying that the Government of Uganda has fully funded the project after rejecting a pre-financing deal with high interest rates.

“Initially, the Summa company was supposed to pre-finance the project, but we found that their money came with a very high interest rate. So we said no, let's finance the project ourselves,” he explained.

He pointed out that Uganda's ability to finance such large-scale projects stems from a sound economic base, dismissing false comments.

“The truth is that we built this stadium with our money in the shortest possible time, because we have money. Uganda has money, but we cannot do everything at once. Development requires prioritization”, stated President Museveni.

The Hoima City Stadium is built to FIFA and international standards, positioning it to host major continental and global events beyond AFCON 2027. The complex is equipped with training areas, sports facilities, administrative offices, media areas and modern security systems.

This AFCON spurred us to do something here. If you want to understand prioritization, come to Hoima and look at this stadium.

– Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda

Baba Alhassan, summoned for the first time to the national team of Uganda

Baba Alhassan (25 years old), the midfielder of the Romanian champion FCSB, was called up for the first time to the Ugandan national teamafter changing his citizenship.

Baba Alhassan, the number 12 player / photo: Facebook Uganda Cranes

Although born in Ghana, his father's country of origin, Baba is also eligible for Uganda, his mother's country of origin.