The Minister of State for Education and Sports (Sports), Peter Ogwang, has rejected a request by Hoima West MP Ismail Kasule to allow Kitara FC to host domestic league matches at Hoima City Stadium, saying the facility is being preserved for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Ogwang, however, pledged to investigate payments amounting to Shs90 million allegedly made by the club to the National Council of Sports (NCS) for using the facility after Kasule tabled receipts in Parliament.
Kasule raised the matter during Prime Minister’s Time on Thursday, 22 October 2026.
He appealed for temporary access to the stadium, saying Kitara FC’s current playing facility was unsuitable for competitive matches.
“The club’s current playing facility is not sustainable for competitive matches,” Kasule said, urging the minister to intervene, subject to safety and operational requirements.
He said the club had previously paid to use the stadium and table receipts for the same.
In response, Ogwang thanked Kitara FC for representing Uganda in continental football but said the stadium’s pitch could not sustain frequent matches.
“That facility is entirely meant to be used once a week, as per the professional advice given to us by those who built it. It is not meant to be used three times a week,” Ogwang said.
He explained that the hybrid pitch required specific maintenance standards and was already being overused.
“The facility we are talking about is for AFCON 2027. As of now, the colleague is aware that the facility, particularly the pitch, is overused,” he said.
Uganda alongside neighbours Kenya and Tanzania are set to host the continent’s top national football competitions next year.
Ogwang said he had written to the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA), asking it to reconsider its position on Kitara FC’s access to its usual home ground for local matches.
He said requests to use Hoima City Stadium would be considered case by case but ruled out hosting several matches weekly.
“We will continue to work with them case by case, but not to ensure that the facility hosts games two, three, four times a week. That is not possible,” he said.
Ogwang added that the government planned to engage an international management firm after AFCON 2027 to operate the stadium and generate revenue.
Ogwang questions payments
Kasule tabled payment documents, including two Shs30 million payments dated 8 September 2026, and another general receipt dated 17 September 2026 – reportedly indicating payments totalling Shs90 million to NCS.
Ogwang questioned whether the money had been properly authorised and remitted to government.
He added that the NCS board had not authorised anyone to permit the stadium’s use, questioning who approved the payments and determined the charges.
“So, who determined the price? So these are the questions now, I am going to carry out the investigation,” Ogwang said.
The investigation will establish who authorised the payments and whether the money was properly received by government.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.