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The Uganda Peoples’ Defense Forces’ Engineering Brigade is renovating Mandela National Stadium, targeting completion by November 30, 2023. The project includes modern smart technology, international standards, and the addition of a hotel. The stadium is expected to host its first international match in March 2024 and, jointly with Kenya and Tanzania, will host the 2027 African Cup of Nations, a historic event for East Africa.

The Engineering Brigade of the Uganda Peoples’ Defense Forces (UPDF), which oversees renovating Mandela National Stadium in Nambole, is optimistic that the project will be finished and delivered on schedule and within the allocated budget.

Lt. Col. Eng Peter Seku Kidemuka, the project engineer, in a statement released on October 30, 2023, by the army, said the phased renovation works that started in February 2022 currently stand at 72% and are to be completed by November 30, 2023, and that they were working tirelessly to see that the project is delivered. He said that works were undertaken in three phases. 

According to Kidemuka, the stadium will have modern smart technology that will allow visitors to conveniently reserve seats and tickets online. After it is finished, he said, the stadium will be able to hold international-caliber rugby and football matches.

Phase one, according to him, entailed completely fencing the 128 acres of land that would become the stadium and evicting any encroachers. Phase two comprised civil, mechanical, and electrical work inside and outside the stadium as well as upgrades and renovations to bring it up to international standards.

He continued by saying that the current stage of the project entails putting in grass in the training area and main playfield, as well as installing chairs, public address systems, electrical and plumbing equipment, and all other stadium amenities. There are also ongoing construction projects on a 62-room hotel.

The project engineer reported that progress has been made toward meeting international standards for the following areas: the doctor’s office, the anti-doping/doping control room, the press conference room, the post-match interview room, the facilities for spectators with disabilities, the fitting of spectator seats, VIPs, and VVIPs to meet international standards, the 70 turnstiles that are anticipated to handle 300 people per minute, and the public gym.

However, he said that despite the ongoing works, they have faced challenges such as part of the land that is still occupied and the parking space that is occupied by the defunct Pioneer buses. He highlighted that these have delayed the progress of their work like the installation of security lights, landscaping and improving the parking space for the stadium. 

Kidemuka thanked the Commander-in-Chief, leadership of the Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs, Ministry of Education and Sports and Ministry of Works and Transport for their efforts towards ensuring that the Mandela National Stadium project is successful and as a team, they will ensure that they deliver as expected. 

To prevent the public from being misinformed about the project, he also expressed gratitude to the media community for keeping them informed and updated about the ongoing work. 

After construction is finished, the stadium is anticipated to host its first international match in March 2024.

Following their joint bid submission, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania will host the 2027 African Cup of Nations competition.

This tournament will mark two firsts: it will be hosted by three different nations for the first time ever, and it will be held in East Africa, or more precisely, the CECAFA region, after Ethiopia hosted it the last time in 1976, 47 years ago.