Buganda Kingdom plan to build sports complexes in all their counties

The Minister of Youth, Sports, and the Arts in the Buganda government Robert Sserwanga has called on potential investors and partners to join the kingdom in establishing sports facilities aimed at promoting community engagement and healthy living.

Sserwanga was speaking at a function at which before the Buganda Kingdom and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), which is building Uganda’s oil export pipeline from Hoima to Tanga in Tanzania, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together on environmental conservation and community development at Bulange on Wednesday.

The partnership is centered on two main projects; tree planting through Ekibira Kya Kabaka, and the other is building a new community sports center at the Ssaza headquarters in Buddu County, Masaka District.

The Kingdom has shown its support for these projects by providing 120 acres of land for tree planting and another 10 acres for building a modern community sports center. EACOP will partly fund the construction of a modern sports facility to nurture talent and promote healthy living, while giving young people in Buganda greater opportunities to develop their skills, especially in districts along the pipeline route. The center is aimed at developing young talent, encourage fitness, and bring the community together under the theme ‘fostering stakeholder collaboration and driving economic growth’.

Sserwanga said under the kingdom’s strategic plan they were using sports as an anchor for all their activities and for community engagement.

“The cabinet recently passed that we should have sports complexes in all our counties and we are looking at identifying about 18 acres of land in each of the them to develop sports complexes. Each complex will cost us about sh30b and we are calling upon all potential partners to join us in this cause,” Sserwanga appealed.

He noted that just in one year over 9000 players register to compete in their sports events through different platforms in about 657 games, which are run by 400 administrators and about 350 officials.

“So, the luck of sports facilities in Uganda and Buganda in particular cannot be under scored because everywhere you go there is a need for sports facilities so having a sports facility in Buddu in partnership with EACOP is one of the first steps in this endeavour,” Sserwanga stated.

The sports minister in the Buganda Kingdom Robert Sserwanga and Hajjat Mariam Nkalubo Mayanja the minister of Community Self Help, Environment, water and Gender signed the agreements with the Managing Director EACOP Guillaume Dulout and the company’s secretary and legal director Barbara Daisy Nabuweke, witnessed by the Katikkiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga, the second deputy Katikkiro Wagwa Nsibirwa, the speaker of the Buganda Lukiiko Patrick Luwagga Mugumbule, the Minister for Energy Ruth Nankabirwa and other dignitaries from the Buganda government and the ministry of energy.  

 “This MoU reflects our long-term commitment to advancing sustainability and socio-economic development. By restoring ecosystems through tree planting and supporting the sports center, we are investing in initiatives that will deliver lasting value for communities and the environment,” Dulout said.

The Katikkiro of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga, welcomed the partnership, noting: “The Kingdom cherishes collaborations that address urgent challenges such as climate change, environmental conservation, and youth empowerment. Through Ekibira Kya Kabaka and the new community sports center, we are working with EACOP to create a legacy of resilience, opportunity, and growth for our people.”

He called on Ugandans to take advantage of the opportunities that these projects present so that they can cash in from them. He also advised that revenues from oil should address and promote key issues that affect the people like the environment, education, health, economic activities like agriculture and infrastructure.

The Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Ruth Nankabirwa said she was happy to see that money was going to be spent to fulfil the requirement of Corporate Social Responsibility.

“The Katikkiro and the sports minister must be congratulated for the projects they chose. That is an indelible ink, it is a spot-on project. Today, the youth must be engaged. The Ekibira kya Kabaka is also spot-on because we are grappling with environment issues,” Nankabirwa said

“Therefore, the singing of the MOU is the beginning of deep corroboration between the Energy ministry, the government and the Buganda Kingdom.

“The Petroleum Authority of Uganda is here to ensure that the people of Uganda get jobs from these projects and so that people benefit from these programs. We are training people and they are getting international certification and they will be able to compete for jobs, locally, regionally and internationally.” She stated.

The First Deputy Katikkiro Robert Wagwa Nsibirwa commended EACOP for the professionalism they have shown in the implementation of the partnership.

“The Stadium for the kingdom in Masaka City and one of the biggest forests in the region are legacy projects, they will outlive all the current actors and that is where the impact is,” Nsibirwa noted.

“The kingdom is a worthy partner because every dollar you give us, we multiply it a thousand times in value so if you want value for money and impact you are most welcome because we have always been open for business through our cultural approach to social and economic transformation.”

Hajjat Mariam Nkalubo Mayanja the minister of Community Self Help, Environment, water and Gender said they will create awareness on the importance of growing trees.

“My call of action is to call on everybody to participate actively by growing and caring for these trees as a legacy for future generations and a greener environment,” she stated.