Members of Parliament on the Committee of Education and Sports have expressed satisfaction with the progress and quality of work at the Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium in Lira City, with construction now reportedly 82 per cent complete.

The legislators, led by committee vice-chairperson Emmanuel Ongiertho, toured the facility as part of their inspection of sports infrastructure projects across the country ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The committee was guided around the complex by engineers from Egyptian construction firm SAMCO and National Council of Sports (NCS) General Secretary Dr Bernard Patrick Ogwel, alongside NCS board members and other officials.

The Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium, named in honour of Uganda’s legendary Olympic champion John Akii-Bua, is one of the major sports infrastructure projects being developed in preparation for AFCON 2027, which Uganda will co-host with Kenya and Tanzania.

The project comprises a 20,000-seater main stadium with a football pitch and running track, an additional training pitch with a running track, two artificial turf five-a-side pitches with changing rooms, a clubhouse, a 60-bed hostel, an indoor arena and a swimming pool, alongside parking facilities.

The MPs were reportedly impressed by the pace of construction, the quality of work and the scale of the multi-purpose complex.

They also highlighted the facility’s potential to generate economic opportunities for the Lango sub-region and the country at large.

The committee challenged the National Council of Sports to ensure the stadium is properly maintained and regularly utilised for sporting and commercial activities beyond AFCON 2027.

The legislators, however, raised concerns over the pace of work at other training grounds intended to support the tournament, including Pece Stadium and Gulu University, noting that they had not progressed at the same rate as the Akii-Bua project.

The UPDF Engineering Brigade assured the committee that the facilities would be completed within their respective timelines, despite having started later and encountered several challenges.

The parliamentary committee’s inspection follows an earlier visit to the National High Altitude Training Centre in Teryet, Kapchorwa.

The delegation is scheduled to inspect King George Stadium in Masindi before proceeding to Sir Tito Winyi Stadium and Hoima Boma Ground, with the tour expected to conclude at the completed and operational Hoima City Stadium.