Mbale City Woman MP elect Lydia Wanyoto has pushed back against concerns raised by Bernard Ogwel, the General Secretary of the National Council of Sports, over the feasibility of constructing a regional stadium in Mbale.
Ogwel recently warned that Mbale could miss out on hosting the proposed regional facility because the current Mbale Municipal Stadium sits on only seven acres of land, far below the fifty acres required for a standard regional stadium.
Speaking during a press briefing, he said the city risks losing the project to neighboring districts that have already offered sufficient land.
“Mbale Stadium has only seven acres against the minimum fifty acres required. If Mbale fails to meet this requirement, the stadium will be hosted by sister districts that have already offered land,” Ogwel said.
In response, Wanyoto criticized the comments and called on the sports body to focus on collaboration rather than public statements that could politicize development efforts.
“The National Council of Sports should not politicize development but instead work with stakeholders to look for the land required for that infrastructural development,” Wanyoto said.
She argued that if Mbale City authorities are unable to secure the required acreage, the central government should intervene and acquire land to facilitate construction of the stadium.
Wanyoto also stressed that Mbale remains the historical and administrative hub for Eastern Uganda, making it a natural location for a regional sports facility.
“Mbale will have a regional stadium and it will also get the Mbale City Stadium in the industrial area reconstructed, and it will be done through government procedures, not through press briefings,” she added.
Wanyoto further noted that local leaders are prepared to support the process and work with government agencies to ensure the stadium project moves forward, maintaining that Mbale’s role as the regional center for Eastern Uganda should not be overlooked.
