Six regional stadiums to get facelift

By Norman Katende

STATE minister for sports Charles Bakkabulindi has said that a plan is underway to see that all government infrastructures get a facelift, as this is the basis of sports development in the country.

Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony of the renovation and remodelling the new National Council of Sports headquarters, the minister said that it was good that NCS has not waited for the government’s arm as they sought for ways of developing the facility.

Minister Charles Bakkabulindi (with hoe) during the groundbreaking ceremony at NCS headquaters in Lugogo.

“This is what we call sports development. We should do the little we can,” said Bakkabulindi at the function which will kick-start the construction that will involve the demolition of the structure and expanding it to be able to accommodate the entire workforce at the council.

“This is the face of Uganda sports and it shows that we are on the right track. As government, we have a full programme that is going to work on the modernisation of regional stadia,” said Bakkabulindi.

Project engineer Edward Mugabi shows the renovation plans to the officials.

“We cannot develop sports unless we have infrastructure and by developing the headquarters shows that we have got a fresh image for sports development which will be spread to all other facilities,” added Bakkabulindi.

The government has already contracted two companies to redesign six regional stadiums that include Mbale Municipal stadium, Kyabazinga Stadium Bugembe, Kakyeka stadium in Mbarara, Recreation ground in Masaka, Pece Stadium in Gulu and Kabale grounds.

NCS offices are currently dilapidated but the renovation is set to change the face of the structure.

NCS general secretary Jasper Aligawesa said that the works have been made possible because of a bank loan that will have to be repaid using internally generated funds.

“We have not been able to renovate the building that was constructed in 1954 because we have not been getting enough funds from government until three years back when the subvention reached sh1.3bn. What we are doing is to give a face to Uganda sports,” said Aligawesa.