The State Minister for Education and Sports, Peter Ogwang has assured that no part of Lugogo Cricket Oval land will be given to a private investor.
This follows fears raised by opposition MPs about government’s commitment to redevelop Lugogo Cricket Oval stadium.
On Monday, a section of MPs asked for full disclosure of agreements signed between the government and Summa, a Turkish construction company that will undertake the redevelopment of Lugogo Cricket Oval into a modern state-of-the-art multipurpose indoor sports complex.
Citing examples of Shimon Demonstration School and UBC land in Kololo, the legislators including Ssolo Kayemba, Hillary Kiyaga, Joyce Bagala and Richard Lumu argued that public land has in the past, been given to private investors for redevelopment only for the government to end up losing it.
The MPs said they were worried about what would happen to the Lugogo stadium land since they have not gained access to the agreements made by the government and the Turkish investor.
However, Minister Ogwang has assured the MPs that no land will be given to the Turkish investor.
“On the proposed multipurpose sports complex in Lugogo, I want to allay the MPs’ fears that no land will be given to a private investor,” Ogwang said.
The minister highlighted that the Turkish Company will only be obliged to construct the complex as per the contractual agreement, adding; “We passed the National Sports law which protects public sports property.”
Last week, the government of Uganda entered into a partnership with Summa, a Turkish construction company, for the redevelopment of Lugogo into an indoor complex with a seating capacity of 15,000 people.
Upon completion, the facility which is set to be constructed at the premises of the National Council of Sports (NCS) at Lugogo, will be one of the biggest in East Africa.