NEAR COMPLETION: Nakivubo War Memorial stadium under redevelopment
STORY BY:
MOSES MUGALULA
NEWS EDITOR MEDIA
PRESIDING Apostle of the Born Again Faith in Uganda Dr. Joseph Serwadda has saluted Kampala Businessman Hamis Kiggundu for redeveloping Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium into a magnificent Stadium in the heart of Kampala calling upon other investors to venture into re-developing other stadiums within the country which are in a very sorry state.
In an exclusive interview with this leading investigative online news website, Dr. Serwaddwa did not have any kind words for the enemies of development who feel jealous of the amazing work at Nakivubo Stadium thay Tycoon Hamis Kiggundu is doing challenging them to do their part and put up better stadiums in different parts of the country.
Dr. Serwadda who owns Impact Media Consortium (IMC), one of the fastest growing media companies in Uganda said every city in the country has a stadium but in a very sorry state which needs redevelopment and urged those frustrating Hamis Kiggundu to ask Government for clearance to redevelop those stadias.
In our interview, Dr. Serwadda talked about a number of issues ranging from how successful 2022 end of year Passover Festival at Kyambogo was, how Sports in the Country can be revived and the fight against same sex marriage!
In Part I of our Interview with the Presiding Apostle, we shall dwell so much on the issue of reviving Sports in the country and his take on the redevelopment of Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium by investor Hamis Kiggundu, CEO Ham Group of Companies.
Read on;
News Editor: A few days to Qatar 2022 World Cup Finals, you were heard during one of your Sunday morning Dream tv/impact radio popular show ‘Ebizimba Omwoyo’ praising Qatar on how it had prepared well for the world top event in football.
Dr. Serwadda: Oh yes!
News Editor: You took your viewers and listerners through all the eight designated venues for FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar plus other state-of-the-art accomodation places for vistors. You talked about Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail, Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium and Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan and Stadium 974 and Al Thumama Stadium in Doha.
Dr. Serwadda: Yes. Qatar had wonderful preparations.
News Editor: Do you see Uganda on the same page with Qatar as we target AFCON 2027 now that Nambole Stadium is under renovation by UPDF Engineering crew, tycoon Kiggundu is redeveloping Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium and money to construct more two Stadiums will be passed by Parliament in 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 National budgets respectively! Is it the right time, as a country to appreciate investor Hamis Kiggundu and look towards constructing more stadiums?
Dr. Serwadda: Definately Hamis Kiggundu is our hero and has set a precedent which other people need to follow but not enviying him. As a business mogul, Hamis Kiggundu wisely ventured into sports and has constructed a multi-billion stadium in heart of Kampala. Such a rare investor must instead be protected, celebrated, supported and prayed for, but not sabotaged, frustrated or fought by a section of leaders and their cohorts. Kiggundu has given our capital city facelift, he is a real nationalist. What a legacy this investor has put up? He has done a wonderful job for the country, let other investors emulate him instead of feeling jealous.
News editor: Do other investors have the same favours like that of Hamis Kiggundu to be given land to construct stadiums?
Dr. Serwadda: Do you know any one with such an idea but denied an opportunity?
News editor: Is government willing to enter into a Public Private Partnership with such investors to redevelop our other stadiums?
Dr. Serwadda: I think, government should just open up and say, if you want to be an investor, and you give a certain percentage of intetest, we give you land or financial support. We have many stadiums all over the country which needs to be redeveloped. For example, Kakyeka Stadium in Mbarara, Masaka Recreation Ground, Kakindu in Jinja, one in Hoima, Pece in Gulu and many more others in big cities are a shame! Personally I have been there, i have preached there. These places can now be availed for public use. Wiling investors show up and are given an opportunity to redevelop them into big stadiums. Each of the new cities, and other cities should have a standard stadium. Let there be businessmen who are willing to invest in that business. Let them do something good, put up facilities, matching with our security, then we will be top on the scope. Have good roads say from Namboole not such a small corridor of Bweyrogerere, Kireka, Banda. Which corridor becomes like a cattle track when we have a match there.
News editor: Parliament is also looking at passing a budget to construct two bigger stadiums matching Namboole.
Dr. Serwadda: Parliament has interest in other things, i dont think they have that zeal.
Let government open up and we have more stadiums. I need to have a reason to walk out of home to go to the stadiums on weekend. We all want AFCON but it looks like we are not ready.
After we have constructed six or more stadiums, then we can venture into all those places and ask for big tournarments. There needs to be an effort where government lets go of sports to people with interest.
News editor: Dont you think this is a wake up call for the Ministry of Education and Sports?
Dr. Serwadda: But the ministry of sports itself, should be a substantive independent ministry not attached to Education. That thinking that footballers and other sports come from schools, is wrong. It isnt necessaliry that Children with sports talent are in schools only. We need an independent ministry to start identifying children with sports talent, either from schools or not. If he or she is in school, let that child be helped from school, if he or she didnt go to school, lets develop his or her natural talent. This ministry must be identifying talents from different regions.
News editor: You are looking speifically at the football sport?
Dr. Serwadda: Ofcourse no! Sports is wide, it isnt necessaliry football. Ugandans have demonstrated other talents like in Netball, Atheletics. Uganda Atheleties are on world scale, winning world medals. Why do we lose that and instead put emphasis on football where our footballers cant win us bronze medals? Yet we have boxers and other sports. We have beaches on all our lakes, no body is even thinking beach soccer or beach volley ball. We are not versatile in our thinking concerning the sports industry. We are not using experts. Look at Uganda Cranes coach. He has been here before, how did he perform that guaranteed his return? Is it because he is the only competent coach? Really?
Sports Minister Peter Ogwang is ok for a ministry, but let him be a full cabinet minister, we give him new ideas. Sports ministry needs fresh blood, a sports lover, a sports enthusiast, when he has the enthusiasm some thing close to what Bakkabulindi had. Like you all saw minister Bakkabulindi. He used to go to the stadium not because he was a minister but because he liked football.
Look at myself, i watch every game Uganda Cranes plays just to support them and i love our boys. Its my team. And i was a sportsman. I loved so much football and i was a footballer.
News editor: Is it true you were a boxer?
Dr. Serwadda: Yes I tried boxing and when i was beaten, i ran out of this sport.
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