The ongoing renovation works at Huye stadium are set to cost about Rwf 10 billion upon completion, the Rwanda Housing Authority has confirmed.
The stadium has been under renovation since April and the contractor has been working day and night to get the venue completed as soon as possible so that Rwanda can host some of their AFCON qualifiers in the country.
The venue was initially the only option that Rwanda had if it was to host home matches but following delays in renovating both the Amahoro stadium and Kigali stadium, the tie against Senegal was moved to Dakar.
“We were supposed to import 7 900 chairs to use inside the stadium but because the supply chain is not doing well these days, the works could not be finished by May 31 as earlier planned,” said Rwanda Housing Authority Acting Director General, Noel Nsanzineza.
But for now, he said, the chairs have arrived and are being set up in the stadium. The works at the stadium are now at 90 per cent.
Some key aspects being considered during the ongoing renovation works include media area, changing room, public toilets and bathrooms for players as well as the roofing.
Upon completion, the stadium will have a capacity of 10 000 seats, a rise of over 2100 from the current capacity of the venue. The 2100 new seats will be added in the stadium’s Taba wing.
Meanwhile, renovation works will be completed at three more stadiums by 2024 including the upgrade of Kigali Stadium, Nyanza Stadium and Amahoro Stadium.
The upgrade of Amahoro Stadium is underway and will see the venue increase the capacity from 25 000 to 45 000 upon completion within the next two years.