Construction of the Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium in Lira City has reached 85 percent, with the Shs470 billion project entering its final phase ahead of a scheduled handover on January 2, 2027.

The stadium is among the facilities Uganda is preparing for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which the country will co-host with Kenya and Tanzania.

Eng. Mohammed Nazih, project manager at SAMCO National Construction Company, said the main stadium is now largely complete after construction began on May 3, 2025, under a 20-month contract.

“The main stadium structure is nearly finished, requiring only final touches,” Nazih said.

The remaining works are being handled simultaneously as contractors race against time to meet the January handover date.

Richard Takatamoe, a consultant with the Ministry of Works and Transport, expressed confidence that the project will be delivered on schedule, noting that teams are working on different sections at the same time to save time.

Akii-Bua Stadium will accommodate 20,000 spectators and feature an athletics track, training pitches and changing rooms.

The wider complex will also include a 2,000-seat indoor arena, a 25-metre swimming pool, tennis courts and outdoor facilities for basketball, netball, volleyball and badminton. The project also includes a 1.8-kilometre ring road, perimeter fencing with 23 gates and parking for up to 1,000 vehicles.

Attention has now shifted to the playing surfaces, with the main pitch already seeded and undergoing regular irrigation and maintenance.

Eng. Emre Frisik of Turkey-based Integral Group, the company handling the athletic surfaces and spectator facilities, said the focus has moved from construction to nurturing the hybrid playing surface.

“With the physical construction of the pitches finished, the primary focus has shifted to maintenance, which involves the careful cultivation of the hybrid grass system,” Frisik said.

The pitch combines 80 percent natural grass and 20 percent artificial fibres, a system designed to improve durability and performance. The main pitch and scoreboard were reported to be complete as of October 27.

The progress has also impressed residents who have visited the facility.

Lira City resident William Achol said the development had gone beyond the main stadium, with several supporting facilities taking shape.

“I have looked at the football pitch, I have looked at the seating arrangements, I have also sat on some of those seats,” Achol said.

He added that the supporting facilities could provide additional revenue for the complex beyond AFCON 2027.

With the main structure nearing completion and the playing surfaces now being prepared, the focus shifts to finishing the remaining works before Akii-Bua Stadium is handed over in January, ahead of its expected role in Uganda’s AFCON 2027 preparations.