Recently, Hamson Obua, the state minister of Sports, announced that government has provided Shs 30bn of the budgeted Shs 97bn towards the revamp of Mandela national stadium, Namboole.
Whereas that is a positive gesture in a bid to return the stadium to into a usable state, it may not do much if pertinent issues that led to Namboole’s malfunction are not addressed. Besides, true state of the sports complex largely remains unclear.
At the moment, the stadium is being used as a Covid-19 treatment facility but this is just a temporary arrangement.
Even before the stadium was closed last year due to its poor state, there was already a huge debate regarding its [under]utilization.
Therefore, before the Shs 30bn is even put to use, there is need to address the full status of Namboole.
Specifically, to explore what the reasons behind the status are, four sub-questions need to be answered:
Firstly, after 24 years, is Namboole a white elephant or a precious resource for both local communities and the entire country?
Secondly, does the stadium continue to serve as a sports complex?
Thirdly, is it financially self-sustaining or is it continuing to drain public resources to offset ongoing maintenance and operating cost? And who is in charge of the venue, in other words, who should be responsible for the facility?
And lastly, what lessons or recommendations emerge for the stadium’s future?
Since its inauguration in 1997, issues such as underuse, operational finance deficit, poor organization, or even abandonment have been debated.
To answer the first question, Namboole has already proven to be a white elephant that can only be resuscitated through a complete overhaul of its mandate and management structure. For instance, of the 120 acres it owned in 1997, only 60 acres can be accounted for as the rest has been taken by land grabbers.
Meanwhile, the whole stadium project cost $36m (Shs 133bn on current dollar rate) and, added to the $2.8m (Shs 10bn) facelift it got in 2010, that makes it Shs 143bn yet we need to spend another Shs 97 in renovations that have no tangible benefits.
Then again, its purpose to serve sports has long been overtaken by more ‘lucrative’ ventures such as gospel crusades, which ended up creating more damage on the facility.
To put this in perspective, a few years ago I used to pay Shs 500,000 for every SC Villa match hosted at the facility’s reserve football ground yet groups converging there for fellowships were given huge discounts.
On the other hand, Namboole’s failure to be a self-sustaining enterprise is a damning indictment on the board and management, especially when one considers the fact that facilities that encroached on its land are even doing well financially.
The management seems contented with its inward mentality of waiting for opportunities instead of creating them. Times have changed from sitting in offices to being in the field.
St Mary’s stadium in Kitende is hardly three years old and sits on barely two acres but Dr Lawrence Mulindwa has already turned it into a major attraction for events on top of attracting several sponsors yet to imagine that Namboole management prefers to play victim to land encroachers as well as underfunding and then cry out to government is blatant failure.
So, from this foregoing facts, the first recommendation is to create more energy into the facility and what it has on offer.
Already, public enthusiasm in terms of visiting the venue, using the facilities, or even enjoying the spirit is at an all-time low. Moreover, with national football team’s matches occurring every four months, there is little to keep the stadium vibrant. Therefore, aggressive profiling of the stadium is a must in order to fully take advantage of the renovations.
This can only be achieved with a business-oriented board and management that is not merely seeking employment. Marketing must be considered seriously so that the public and potential clients become fully aware of future use options. A constant public exposure must be enhanced, the sooner the better.
Secondly, Namboole’s strategy remains uncertain as far sports promotion is concerned. It was built to accommodate at least 10 sporting disciplines but in recent years, all effort was put towards football. If that’s going to be the case, then it would be meaningless to sink Shs 30bn in Namboole when a fraction of that money can uplift several upcountry stadiums, thereby boosting the sport. The likes of Kakyeka, Masaka recreation grounds, Bugembe, Ssaza and Mbale municipal ground, among others, can do a great job to expand sports in the country.
On the other hand, if the renovated Namboole is to be considered a public product, then it should be seen to provide service functions for the public. Unfortunately, Namboole board and management operates like a public product providing service for the private sector. This can be seen in the failure to recover more than 60 acres encroached on or grabbed by private individuals.
Lastly, if it is evident the facility cannot generate enough income to sustain itself, why not go for a Public Private Partnership? I have no doubt Namboole would be much better off if it was in the hands of a private investor and to see hotels that encroached on its land thriving at the expense of the stadium hotel is deplorable.
In this ever-changing economic landscape, the board and management should consider creating a business hub in the area. Already, government plans to boost the passenger train that links Mukono to Kampala through Namboole, a move that can only help set up a business village on the unused stadium land. I foresee Namboole turning into a business gateway to Eastern Uganda
All in all, there is need to create a think tank on Namboole, whose expanse alone makes it one of the biggest chunks in greater Kampala. To imagine it is still dependent on government support makes it a risky venture that can only be compared to the recently-revived Uganda Airlines.
