Nakivubo Stadium shifts rooms
Oct 25, 2011
Management has started renovation works on new dressing rooms and providing a semi-permanent tunnel to the stadium as a way of improving Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium to CAF standards.
By Silvano Kibuuka
Management has started renovation works on new dressing rooms and providing a semi-permanent tunnel to the stadium as a way of improving Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium to CAF standards.
According to the stadium spokesman Fred Kateregga, the renovation will cost over sh5m. This will soon have referees and players come onto the pitch from the kirussia side to give opportunity to high ranking officials and high cost ticket payers watch the players emerge from the dressing rooms.
Kateregga said there were no CAF requirements by the time the stadium started operating in 1953.
“Although Uganda has hosted many international matches at Nakivubo in the past, the stadium was not up to the standard,” Kateregga said.
“That is the first step as we wait for the government programme of the Public Private partnership to develop the stadium into a multi-complex structure to cover more games and serve the business community.”
Stadium manager Ivan Lubega said the overhauling process shall be gradual due to costs.
“We think such innovations shall also woo officials of the Uganda Super League Ltd to re-consider scheduling live matches to Nakivubo. They gave us a positive response at the beginning and we are still waiting,” Lubega said.
But former referees and now commissioners, Wamala Katumba and Umar Bawutu have expressed fear for the referees’ security against irate kirussia fans.
“During our times fans were too hostile to referees. Such a tunnel would provide no protection because the kirussia stand is so near to the pitch”, Bawutu observed.