The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Fort Portal, Uganda | URN | The King of Tooro, Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, has donated 50 acres of his private land to the government to facilitate the construction of a modern sports stadium in Tooro Kingdom. The land title was officially handed over to the State Minister for Sports, Peter Ogwang, during a function held at the Tooro Kingdom headquarters in Muchwa, Fort Portal City.
Calvin Armstrong Rwomire Akiiki, the Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister, said the land was voluntarily offered by the King to support sports development and youth empowerment in the region. He explained that the donation follows a presidential pledge of 2018 to construct Buhinga Stadium in Fort Portal City, a plan that stalled after it was discovered that the available land at Buhinga was too small to accommodate a modern stadium facility.
Kabarole District had also identified land in Kyembogo in Busoro Subcounty for the stadium; however, progress was halted when the National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO) claimed ownership of the land. The Prime Minister declined to disclose the exact location of the donated land, noting that the Ministry of Sports will first conduct technical evaluations to determine its suitability before details are made public. He added that the proposed facility should go beyond being a sports complex and instead serve as a youth sports academy aimed at identifying, nurturing, and developing talent among young people.
Ambrose Tashobya, Chairperson of the National Council of Sports, welcomed the donation and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing the presidential pledge. He said the council’s technical team will assess the land to confirm whether it meets the standards required for a modern stadium and related facilities.
Minister Ogwang described the development as a follow-up to a meeting between the King and President Yoweri Museveni during the President’s visit to the region last year. “During that meeting, the King reminded the President about the pledge to construct a stadium and also committed to providing land for the project,” Ogwang said.
He added that he had been instructed to inspect the proposed land so that the government can begin planning processes, including consideration of the project in the national budget. According to the minister, the final size and design of the stadium will depend on the land approved, but he emphasized that the facility’s architecture should reflect Tooro’s cultural heritage.
He encouraged young people to prepare to benefit from the project, noting that sports have evolved from just a leisure activity into a profession that can provide a sustainable income and transform lives.
At the same event, the minister officially flagged off the Tooro Kingdom Inter-Clan Tournament set to begin on Saturday, bringing together 30 clans across the kingdom. Eng. Francis Kateeba, the Kingdom’s Minister for Education and Sports, said the tournament aims to promote unity, peace, cultural identity, and talent identification among the people of Tooro.
He added that it will also raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and encourage participation in government development programs. Sharon Asiimwe, a university student in Fort Portal, said the stadium will inspire more young people, especially girls, to participate in sports. Peterson Kato noted that the stadium will help develop young talent in the kingdom and bring economic development to the area where it is constructed.
