*HOIMA* - President Yoweri Museveni has asked Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja to raise matters regarding the facilitation of building of new hotels in Hoima City, as well as boosting emergency health services and roads, in Cabinet next Monday.

The President said this yesterday, right after he had unveiled the foundation stone of the fast-rising Hoima City Stadium which is one of the designated venues for 2027 African Cup of Nations finals to be hosted by East African neighbours Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Presiding over the function alongside First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Museveni, the President was reacting to observations from State Minister of Sports Hon. Peter Ogwang and suggestions from Hoima City Mayor Brian Kaboyo that government incentivise the private sector with loans from UDB and the like.

Mayor Kaboyo revealed that his city currently had only 1700 beds or thereabouts, but would need around 20,000 beds to accommodate the projected influx of visitors for the AFCON tournament in 2027. The President was confident the gap would be filled, citing the success story of the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) as a result of which the number of hotel beds in host city Kampala had grown from around 4000 prior-to, to upwards of 20000 during and after.

President Museveni was however impressed by the speed at which Turkish construction giants SUMMA were going about constructing the stadium itself, along with all the other components of project which will make it the model modern day multi-discipline facility until the similarly designed Akii-Bua complex is later completed by Egyptian contractor SAMCO.

"This SUMMA seems to be a serious company, considering how much they have accomplished in a short period of time. I would like to congratulate them," said the President, who confirmed that the Turks would embark on the second phase of the construction of Namboole Stadium, once they had wrapped up in Hoima.

As empathised by Hon. Ogwang and reaffirmed by their CEO at the unveiling, SUMMA had accomplished all the current works in only five months, and were looking to finish the entire complex by December, a whole six months ahead of the original project timeline of 18 months. That will mean that, along with the 20,000 seater main stadium and it's running track, they will hand over a 2000-seater mini indoor arena, a 25-metre swimming pool, outdoor courts for basketball, volleyball, netball and the like, as well as another training pitch and a parking lot to accomodate more than 1000 cars.

In the words of Turkey's ambassador to Uganda, H.E Mehmet Fatih, who was in attendance, SUMMA were to deliver not just a stadium but a dream for the millions of youths in Uganda, and an attraction for thousands of visitors and investors.

And President Museveni reminded the people of Bunyoro that they should be thankful for the 'manna from heaven" that dropped on the region since the discovery of oil, with several hundreds of kilometres onto their paved network in the name of Oil Roads, and an International Airport which had resulted in the choice of their city as the venue for this modern stadium, to adhere to CAF requirements.

Also in attendance at the budding stadium were the Vice President of Uganda, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, the Government Chip Whip, other Ministers, Members of Parliament, the area political, administrative and religious leadership, officials from the Ministry of Education and Sports, Ministry of Works and Transport, other government MDAs, representatives from some of the intended beneficiary Sports Federations and Associations, as well as a team from hosts National Council of Sports led by Chairperson Ambrose Tashobya and General Secretary Dr Bernard Patrick Ogwel, who were commended by Hon. Ogwang and the First Lady for a job very well done. The First Lady also paid special tribute to members of the Rujumba family present, for having literally got this ball rolling by donating 10 acres of land to the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA), to which government has since added more acreage to make this project a fast-rising reality.