GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES SHS 172.21 BILLION TO SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE AHEAD OF AFCON 2027

The Government of Uganda has allocated Shs 172.21 billion to the National Council of Sports (NCS) for the second quarter of the current financial year, with the bulk of the funds directed toward sports infrastructure development ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

According to the Ministry of Finance’s Q2 disbursement schedule, the funding will support the completion and upgrading of key stadiums expected to host or back AFCON activities. Priority projects include the final touches on Hoima City Stadium, the continued construction of Akii Bua Stadium in Lira, and the redevelopment of the main and VIP stands at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, whose next phase is anticipated to begin later this year.

This allocation comes as part of a broader government commitment to improving sports infrastructure across the country. During the 2025/26 National Budget reading at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Matia Kasaija, confirmed that the Government of the Republic of Uganda has earmarked Shs 1.3 trillion (approximately USD 361 million) for sports infrastructure development under the Shs 72.3 trillion national budget.

The Shs 172.21 billion second-quarter disbursement underscores Uganda’s determination to accelerate infrastructure readiness and deliver world-class facilities as it prepares to co-host the 2027 AFCON alongside Kenya and Tanzania under the “Pamoja 2027” bid