TAKEAWAYS

• Balaam Barugahara described Hoima City Stadium as the best stadium in Uganda and compared its standards to some of Europe’s renowned football venues.
• The minister called for greater investment in youth sports development in Bunyoro to produce talent capable of sustaining the facility.
• He proposed making Kitara FC the stadium’s home club through a revenue-sharing arrangement to ensure its long-term sustainability.

The Minister of Local Government, Hon. Balaam Barugahara, has left the public astonished after boldly declaring that the newly constructed Hoima City Stadium is currently the best stadium in Uganda.

Speaking while inspecting the multi-billion-shilling facility, Balaam praised the stadium’s world-class standards and expressed confidence that it could one day host some of the biggest football nations in the world.

 “Our stadium is probably better than Emirates Stadium, the one of Arsenal, and it’s better than the one of Tottenham Hotspur. Actually, our class would be close to Wembley Stadium, only that our seating capacity is 25,000 while Wembley is close to 100,000,” Balaam said.

The minister added that he believes international teams such as England could one day use the facility for training camps and even play friendly matches against the Uganda Cranes.

According to Balaam, however, the biggest challenge now is ensuring that sports talent in the Bunyoro sub-region is developed to fully utilize the stadium.

 “We need to develop sport in Bunyoro. Let the young people be given footballs and opportunities to practice so that we identify talents who can be groomed to play for Kitara FC and create a bigger, stronger team to sustain that stadium,” he noted.

Balaam further appealed to the Ministry of Education and Sports to consider making Kitara FC the official home team of the stadium, suggesting a revenue-sharing arrangement that would help maintain the facility while supporting the club’s growth.

“I will humbly appeal to them to consider giving that stadium to Kitara FC so that it becomes their home ground. We can share revenue so that the stadium remains operational and continues making money for Ugandans,” he said.

The Hoima City Stadium was constructed as part of Uganda’s preparations to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) alongside Kenya and Tanzania. The state-of-the-art facility has since become one of the country’s most talked-about infrastructure projects, attracting praise from leaders, sports enthusiasts, and members of the public.

Balaam also dismissed comparisons with the recently renovated Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.

“Don’t compare Namboole to Hoima. This one is state of the art. Everything is nice,” he remarked.

His comments have since sparked debate among football fans, with many praising the quality of the new facility while others questioned comparisons with some of Europe’s most iconic stadiums.

As Uganda gears up for AFCON 2027, Hoima City Stadium is expected to play a key role in showcasing the country’s ability to host major international sporting events.