King Oyo’s death reignites calls for long-awaited Shs11b Tooro stadium
The death of Tooro King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV has renewed public scrutiny over an eight-year-old government commitment to construct a modern stadium in the region, just five months after the monarch donated 50 acres of land to unblock the project.
Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to fulfil the pledge, proposing that the proposed facility be named King Oyo Stadium to honour the late traditional leader.
“I believe this is the right moment to honour the pledge made to Tooro by making the King Oyo Stadium a reality,” Rwomiire posted on his personal X handle in a public appeal to Museveni.
The renewed call highlights a project whose origins trace back to 2018, when President Museveni committed government support toward redeveloping Buhinga Stadium in Fort Portal, directing the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Engineering Brigade to undertake the works. An initial plan envisaged a 10,000-seat facility costing about Shs11 billion.
Although the UPDF constructed a perimeter wall around Buhinga, plans for a modern stadium hit a snag due to space constraints; the site contained only seven acres, far short of the required 40 acres. Subsequent attempts by Kabarole District to secure land at Kyembogo also stalled following competing claims by the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO).
King Oyo personally intervened during a May 2025 meeting with President Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni, who doubles as the Minister of Education and Sports, offering kingdom land to rescue the project.
“I informed His Excellency and the First Lady of my contribution of land for the construction of a modern stadium in Fort Portal,” King Oyo stated after the meeting, linking the facility to broader opportunities surrounding Uganda’s hosting duties for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
On March 31 this year, the kingdom officially handed over title documents for 50 acres in Muchwa, Fort Portal, to State Minister for Sports Peter Ogwang. At the time, Ogwang confirmed the handover was an official follow-up to the President’s meeting, though he cautioned that technical assessments, feasibility studies, and legal procedures were required before construction could begin.
“Government must first secure full ownership of the land before any investment is made, as required by law,” Ogwang noted, adding that the proposed facility was not designated as a primary venue for AFCON 2027 but would be designed sustainably to reflect Tooro’s cultural identity.
Five months after the land title transfer, no work has commenced, and the government has yet to release a final design, budget, or timeline.
“Sadly, he did not live to witness that dream come true,” Rwomiire remarked, reiterating his call to name the complex—and an accompanying sports academy—after the late monarch. “It would preserve his memory while creating an important sporting and development legacy for the young people of Tooro and Uganda.”
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