Construction of Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium in Lira City has reached 85 per cent completion, with the contractor targeting January 2027 to hand over the facility to the government.

Mohamed Nazir, the project manager at SAMCO Construction, said the remaining work mainly involves landscaping and finishing activities in Zone Two, while most of the structural works on the main stadium have been completed.

“We have reached about 85 per cent overall completion. What remains is mainly finishing works in Zone Two and landscaping, but our target is to complete and hand over the project in January 2027,” Nazir said.

He said the contractor was working on several sections simultaneously to meet the handover deadline, with workers currently installing doors and windows and undertaking external finishing on buildings in the second zone.

The project is divided into two zones. Zone One comprises the main stadium, entrance, parking facilities and associated landscaping.

Zone Two includes an indoor arena with a seating capacity of approximately 2,000 people, a 60-bed hotel, a clubhouse, a swimming pool, tennis courts, five-a-side beach football facilities and a multipurpose sports area.

The project also features approximately 1.5 kilometres of perimeter fencing with 23 gates and a 1.8-kilometre ring road around the stadium.

Nazir said most structural works in Zone Two, including the building framework, blockwork and plastering, were nearing completion, leaving finishing and external works as the main outstanding activities.

Playing surfaces completed

Meanwhile, work on the main playing surfaces and other sports installations has been completed, according to Emre Erisik, an engineer with Integral Group, a subcontractor responsible for the pitches, athletics tracks, spectator seating and scoreboard.

Erisik said the remaining work on the main pitch involves maintaining the newly planted natural grass to ensure it establishes properly before the stadium becomes operational.

“The work on the main pitch, main training pitch and other playing surfaces is complete. What remains on the main pitch is maintenance as we ensure the grass grows properly,” Erisik said.

He explained that the stadium uses a hybrid playing surface combining natural grass with artificial fibres to provide a suitable playing surface.

Erisik said grass seeds had recently been planted on the main pitch and were beginning to germinate. The maintenance team is using an irrigation system to ensure regular watering and support healthy grass growth.

“The grass is like a baby that needs water and care to grow. My work is the same. I am responsible for ensuring the grass gets water and grows properly,” he said.

The project includes two athletics tracks, one at the main stadium and another at the main training facility, alongside five-a-side football facilities and other sporting installations.

The project follows the government's commitment to establish a modern sports complex in the Lango Sub-region.

President Yoweri Museveni launched construction on January 29, 2025, after the government signed a construction contract with Egyptian firm SAMCO National Construction Company in December 2024.

The project was initially scheduled for completion within 20 months.

The stadium is named after John Akii-Bua, Uganda's celebrated hurdler who won the country's first Olympic gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

Once completed, Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium is expected to provide the Lango Sub-region with a major venue for football, athletics and other sporting events, supported by accommodation and recreational facilities.

The development is also expected to expand opportunities for athletes, sports organisations and local communities by providing modern facilities for training, competitions and other sporting activities.