Fresh debate has emerged over the continued renovation of Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, following claims that billions of shillings have been spent on the facility in successive rehabilitation projects.
A post circulating on social media has questioned the value of the different renovation works carried out at the stadium, particularly claims that the UPDF Engineering Brigade was previously allocated Shs97 billion for renovation before another Shs248 billion was reportedly allocated for further works.
The post, shared by an account identified as Omupakasi, sarcastically questioned whether Namboole could become one of Africa’s most renovated stadiums before becoming one of the continent’s most usable facilities.
The writer argued that after the first renovation, some of the work reportedly failed to meet the requirements for approval by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), prompting further interventions at the same facility.
“We renovate, remove what we renovated, renovate again then maybe renovate the renovation?” the post reads.
The claims have triggered questions about how much public money has been committed to Namboole over the years, what was achieved under each phase of renovation and whether previous works adequately addressed the stadium’s infrastructure and CAF requirements.
The stadium has undergone several rehabilitation efforts as Uganda works to improve its sports infrastructure and meet international standards for hosting major football competitions.
The latest concerns also raise broader questions about value for money, project planning and accountability whenever major public infrastructure projects undergo repeated rehabilitation.
However, the figures cited in the social media post have not been independently established in the post itself, and the claims should therefore be treated as allegations until supported by official budget documents, contracts, parliamentary records or statements from the relevant authorities.
The debate comes at a time when Namboole remains one of Uganda’s most important sporting facilities and is expected to play a major role in the country’s preparations for hosting international football matches.
For many Ugandans, the central question is no longer simply how much has been spent on renovating Namboole, but whether the money spent has delivered a stadium capable of consistently meeting the required international standards.
