Speaker Hon. Anita Among Orders Immediate Removal of Pioneer Buses from Mandela National Stadium Ccomplex
Speaker of Parliament Hon. Anita Among has issued a directive for the immediate removal of Pioneer Bus Limited vehicles parked at the Mandela National Stadium complex, commonly known as Namboole Stadium. This decision came during a site inspection conducted by Among and a team from Parliament yesterday 15th April 2024.
The Mandela National Stadium complex, also known as Namboole Stadium, has received a direction from Speaker of Parliament Hon. Anita Among requiring Pioneer Bus Limited cars to be removed immediately. Among and a delegation from Parliament made this decision while on a site visit.
Among stressed the urgency of the matter, declaring that the Minister of State for Sports, Peter Ogwang, must appear before Parliament the following morning to address the issue as the top agenda item. She expressed the need to restore the integrity of the stadium premises, stating, “If we have a beautiful smart stadium here, we no longer need scrap in our premises.”
Additionally, Among emphasized the importance of maintaining the stadium’s land exclusively for sports activities. She insisted that any use of the land for other purposes should require a formal resolution, highlighting the need for transparency in such decisions. Among called for an investigation into the leasing of the land to Pioneer buses and requested details regarding the government’s earnings from Non-Tax Revenue (NTR).
The renovation and upgrade of the Mandela National Stadium began in August 2022 and is scheduled for completion by May 25, 2024, as promised by project engineer Peter Seku Kidemuka. With a budget allocation of sh97 billion, significant progress has been made in the renovation efforts.
Last week, Parliament urged Finance State Minister Amos Lugoloobi to release the remaining sh17.7 billion to ensure the timely completion of the project.
Kidemuka highlighted the prioritization of renovations to align with the standards set by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), with upcoming events such as the World Cup qualifiers in June 2024 and the African Nations Championship in September 2024 in mind.
This urgency underscores the need to swiftly address any issues, including the removal of Pioneer buses, to ensure the successful completion of the stadium renovation within the stipulated time frame.
