Uganda’s preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations are still far from complete, with Local Organising Committee communications chairperson Dennis Mugimba admitting the country currently stands at only “about four out of 10” in overall readiness.
Speaking to Nile Post, Mugimba said major work remains across stadium infrastructure, roads, accommodation, logistics, security and media operations despite ongoing government interventions and repeated engagements with the Confederation of African Football.
Uganda will co-host AFCON 2027 alongside Kenya and Tanzania under the Pamoja bid, with tournament kick-off scheduled for June 2027. However, CAF inspections conducted earlier this year exposed several deficiencies at key facilities including Mandela National Stadium and Hoima City Stadium.
“In terms of infrastructure and responding to issues raised in CAF’s February 2026 inspection report, I would place us at about three out of 10,” Mugimba said.
“However, on the broader scale of preparations, I would rate us at around four out of 10.”
He explained that CAF’s concerns extend beyond stadium construction alone, saying the continental body is equally focused on operational areas such as ticketing systems, access routes, security management, accommodation capacity and media facilities.
Mugimba revealed that CAF officials recently held a kick-off meeting in Kampala where Uganda received feedback from the 2024 CHAN tournament, which was treated as a test event ahead of AFCON 2027.
According to Mugimba, CAF believes most of the issues identified during inspections remain manageable and should not trigger panic. Several of the concerns raised involve operational redesigns rather than structural reconstruction.
One of the issues raised at Namboole involved the separation of access routes for VIP guests and media personnel. CAF also requested expanded media facilities, including a larger press conference area and a bigger media tribune.
Mugimba said Uganda intends to solve some of the concerns through temporary tournament infrastructure, including an executive outdoor media tent capable of hosting up to 200 journalists.
“The good thing is that CAF says all the issues raised are manageable and should not cause panic,” he said.
Still, the admission exposes the scale of work Uganda faces with barely a year left before the tournament begins.
The country is simultaneously upgrading stadiums, training grounds, hospitals, roads and airport facilities while also trying to improve tournament logistics and accommodation standards.
Uganda recently approved an additional Shs905 billion towards AFCON preparations, pushing total projected spending beyond Shs1.3 trillion when existing infrastructure projects are included.
Mugimba defended the pace of implementation, arguing that Uganda joined the AFCON hosting process while several projects, including the renovation of Namboole, were already underway.
He said government chose to complete an initial phase of works so Uganda could host CHAN before embarking on further remodelling required for full AFCON standards.
“We always knew that after CHAN, further remodelling would be needed at Namboole,” he said.
The final CAF handover for tournament venues is expected around January 2027, with authorities hoping ongoing works by the UPDF Engineering Brigade and other contractors will accelerate progress in the coming months.
