The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has advised Uganda on urgent measures needed to bring Namboole Stadium in Kampala up to Category 4 standards ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027.
From the inspection done last month, Namboole doesn’t fully meet CAF requirements.
Namboole, the country’s largest stadium, currently faces major compliance gaps.
Planned upgrades include partial demolition of the West Stand, structural expansion, and roof replacement, but the original 15-month construction timeline is considered too long to meet AFCON 2027 deadlines.
CAF has recommended a revised upgrade strategy to accelerate delivery.
The next inspection mission, scheduled for August 2026, will assess progress on key areas, including:
- Adoption of a revised stadium upgrade plan aligned with AFCON timelines
- Confirmation of the construction contractor and project schedule
- Visible start of structural works
- Planning for hospitality areas and skyboxes
- Upgrades to spectator circulation and media facilities
The inspection will verify that at least 50 percent of required works at Namboole Stadium are completed.
The stadium was built between 1993-1996 with a grant of US$36 million from China.
In 2022, reconstruction works, undertaken by the UPDF Engineering Brigade, began, and included the installation of a permanent seats in the stadium, new dressing rooms, a modern scoreboard, as well as the refurbishment of floodlights and the pitch.
The renovation of between 2019 and 2024 cost 97 billion Uganda Shillings.
