Construction work on the Akii Bua Stadium in Lira City is progressing steadily, according to government officials, as Uganda continues preparations to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) alongside Kenya and Tanzania.
On Thursday April 11th 2025, a delegation comprising the National Council of Sports’ (NCS) Assistant General Secretary (Admin) Joseph Oluga and Engineering Officer Nicholas Zirimenya conducted the third official site inspection of the stadium.
They were joined by supervising consultants from the Ministry of Works and Transport and a team from the Construction Management Unit of the Ministry of Education and Sports.
Akii Bua Stadium is earmarked as one of Uganda’s key venues for the 2027 continental tournament and is being constructed by Egyptian firm SAMCO.
The sports complex will feature a main stadium with track and field facilities, two training pitches, a 2,000-seater indoor arena, a 25-metre swimming pool, outdoor courts, two five-a-side football pitches, a clubhouse, and a car park with a minimum capacity of 1,000 vehicles.
Officials confirmed that the project is currently in its early phases, focusing on foundational work.
Pile foundations, essential for supporting large structures in areas with weak upper soil layers, have been installed. These deep foundations ensure the structure’s stability by transferring loads to more solid ground or bedrock.
Excavation works have also been completed across large sections of the site. This includes clearing and leveling the ground to accommodate pile caps—reinforced concrete pads that distribute structural loads from above onto the pile foundations.
The excavation also allows for the installation of underground utilities and other essential infrastructure components.
According to the engineering team, the current phase is critical to ensuring long-term structural integrity.
Further updates on construction progress are expected as the project transitions from foundational to structural phases in the coming months.
