By Marvin Ashaba
Freshly sworn in for another term, Minister of State for Sports Hon. Peter Ogwang has unveiled a bold 100‑day roadmap centered on systemic overhaul and continental readiness.
At the heart of his agenda is Project AFCON 2027. With Uganda set to co‑host Africa’s biggest football showpiece next year alongside Kenya and Tanzania, Ogwang pledged that 95% of his first 100 days will be devoted to reorganization and rigorous follow‑ups to meet CAF regulations.
Acknowledging that a continental tournament demands collective effort, he is engaging other government ministries to guarantee seamless, multi‑sectoral delivery.
The urgency is clear. A CAF technical team arrives Monday to conduct a comprehensive engineering audit of all designated stadiums. Ahead of their visit, Ogwang will personally inspect proposed training facilities nationwide to ensure strict compliance with CAF guidelines.
A critical piece of the AFCON puzzle is Mandela National Stadium (Namboole). After inspecting ongoing phase‑two renovations on Heroes Day, Ogwang praised the progress but pressed the stadium committee for greater urgency. “The work done so far is impressive, but we must add more effort to comfortably beat the October 31 deadline,” he said.
At the same time, Ogwang is tightening sports governance. He has scheduled a high‑stakes meeting with the National Council of Sports (NCS) to enforce mandatory registration of all sports associations under the new National Sports Act. “We are trying to streamline sports in Uganda. We must confirm how many associations exist, bring them to book, and make them known,” he warned.
In a major reform to meet World Anti‑Doping Agency (WADA) standards, Ogwang outlined plans to strengthen the National Anti‑Doping Organisation (NADO). To ensure international compliance, NADO will be granted full operational and financial independence, free from day‑to‑day government interference.
With the PAMOJA AFCON 2027 tournament approaching, Ogwang’s aggressive start sends a clear message to contractors and sports federations alike: it is no longer business as usual.
