The First Lady, who is also the Minister of Education and Sports Janet Museveni has praised Nakivubo Stadium developer Hamis Kiggundu for what he has been able to do to turn around what was once a dilapidated facility.

This was after she toured the facility on Tuesday alongside the State Sports Minister Peter Ogwang, National Council of Sports Chairman Ambrose Tashobya, NCS General Secretary Patrick Ogwel, FUFA vice-president Justus Mugisha, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Sports Kate Lamaro, and other officials from the ministry and the First Ladies office.

Kiggundu led the tour alongside the site and structural engineers Aine Ashaba and Ivan Ssewankambo as well as some of the stadium managers.

“I just came here to say thank you because we are proud to see a young Ugandan investor putting up such a facility. Many times you find Ugandans waiting for people who come from abroad to do things for them, and so you are giving an example to those who are coming after you,” Mrs. Museveni said.

“This shows that we should start doing things ourselves; that is how countries develop. You know we look at developed countries and we think we can't do similar things they have done. But when people know and they are confident in themselves they build their own country.”

She advised that Ugandans should not wait for foreigners to develop their country because they also have their own needs and that it is the reason why Africa has waited for so long to develop.

“But this time now we have a motivated new generation, that is why NRM leaders fought so that Ugandans can see that Africans can do things themselves.

“So I come here on behalf of the government though I know there will be another opportunity when the president comes himself but on behalf of the sector, I come here to say thank you. And since you have done what you have already put here for us to see, we can be confident that it will be completed and we thank you for that,” the First Lady stated.

The State Minister of Sports Peter Ogwang also thanked the president and the First Lady for guiding Kiggundu to come up with such a big project.

“This is a game changer in terms of sports infrastructure development in the country. He is the first to put up such a private facility and I know many are going to copy from him to help improve sports infrastructure in the country,” Ogwang noted.

He reasoned that it was because of the peace and stability the NRM government had ushered in that motivated Kiggundu to put up such a wonderful infrastructure.

Kiggundu said it was an honour to host the First Lady who last visited the facility five years ago when it was still at the foundation level.

“I’m personally humbled by the fact that you came here in 2018 while we were at the foundation level and since you left the blessings that you left here have pushed us this far. I wish my fellow youth could assimilate and realise that the government has put in place the right conditions for us to be able to achieve such,” Kiggundu said.

“It is up to us to take personal responsibility to ensure we develop ourselves and Uganda as a nation at large. As you can all see we have done a great job and this stadium is ready to host matches. We have constructed it to international standards and we have different levels of seating: ordinary, VIP, and executive boxes,” Kiggundu stated.