By Patrick Opio
Senior Communications Officer
Lira University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Jasper Ogwal Okeng has reminded the Government to consider tarmacking access roads to the Africa Football Cup of Nations (AFCON) football competitions Training facility being constructed at the university.
In a speech read for him by the Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor, Assoc. Prof. Judith Akello Abal, Prof. Ogwal Okeng noted that although there is a substantive progress in the construction of the AFCON Training Pitch, it would be prudent for the Government to think of working on the roads that connect the facility to the city and elswhere. She was addressing the 4th Site Meeting on 25th September 2025.
As a follow up, Prof. Abal said, tarmacking of the access road to this world-class facility will enhance accessibility and maximise its long-term impact. Prof. Akello Abal doubles as the Dean Faculty of Management Sciences.
Meeting in progress at the site, chaired by Eng.Tayebwa
Eng. Julius Tayebwa is a Senior Civil Engineer at the Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT) advised the UPDF Engineering Brigade, the Contractor, to speed up the construction for them to meet the timeline of 6 months. “The Contractor needs to speed and accomplish works in time, we should be honest and make honest reports about the status and progress of the works done,” he said.
Eng. Tayebwa, the Contract Manager, said the training pitch, attached to the Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium, will be inspected by the CAF team and other parties in a near future. He said, under MoU signed, the contractor is supposed to finish the construction in the remaining two and half months.
Construction of the grandstand and dressing rooms underway
Lira University donated the land to the National Council of Sports (NCS). As will be the case with Kenya and Tanzania, continental football body CAF will inspect Uganda’s progress towards readiness to host AFCON.
The UPDF’s Capt. Jimmy Omara said the works progress was commendable despite a few challenges and they plan to complete the construction as indicted in the MoU.
Construction of the Pitch, grandstand and dressing rooms structure ongoing
In this project, the Government of Uganda, represented by the National Council of Sports, is the Client, with the Ministry of Works and Transport as the Supervising Consultant, and the UPDF Engineering Brigade, the Contractor. The project costs 13.2 billion shillings, already paid 100 percent to the contractor.
The team assessing the works progress
The overall project progress reports presented included preliminaries, grandstand and dressing rooms, pitch works, spectator washrooms, powerhouse, guard house and ticket booth, external works, electrical and ICT installations and mechanical installations
The teams present at the meeting include NCS, Ministry of Works & Transport, UPDF Engineering Brigade, Lira University and Lira City Council.