FUFA Rejects 6 Uganda Premier League Stadiums Ahead of 2026/27 Season

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) has released a comprehensive assessment of stadiums slated for use in the upcoming Uganda Premier League season, revealing that nearly half of the proposed venues fail to meet required standards.

The report is a critical component of the Club Licensing process, which evaluates clubs on various criteria including governance, infrastructure, and business operations. Out of 13 host venues inspected, only seven were approved for the 2026/27 season.

St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende Hamz Stadium, Muteesa II Stadium, Kiira Police Road Arena Lugazi Stadium FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru and Rwamwanja Stadium.

The remaining six venues were deemed unfit due to a range of significant shortcomings, from poor playing surfaces to a complete lack of basic facilities.

Bombo Barracks Ground

The stadium was flagged for its lack of a dedicated media area and the need for significant improvements to its surrounding areas and overall appearance.

Bugonga Fisheries Ground & Ebenezer University Ground

These grounds were cited for extensive issues, including bare patches on the pitch requiring major turf maintenance.

Other critical failures included a lack of drainage, technical benches, dressing rooms for teams and officials, a medical room, and adequate sanitary facilities. Furthermore, both venues lack internal and external perimeter fences and a media working area.

Kigezi Al Madina Ground

This venue exhibited nearly identical problems to Bugonga and Ebenezer, with a poor playing surface, no drainage, and a complete absence of technical benches, dressing rooms, a medical room, and a media area. It also lacks proper sanitary facilities and a permanent external fence.

Luzira Prisons Ground

Inspectors found the pitch in need of general maintenance and noted that uncovered drainage channels pose a significant safety hazard to players.

The technical benches, dressing rooms, and fan toilets were all in a state of disrepair. The facility also lacks a media area and requires a permanent external fence and general beautification.

Mbale City Stadium

The stadium's pitch has bare patches and lacks a proper drainage system. The technical benches were described as being in a "very poor state," with no separate bench for referees.

The venue also fails to provide adequate dressing rooms, a medical room, sufficient fan toilets, or a media area. Significant aesthetic improvements, including painting the stands, were also recommended.

Royals Park Butema

The playing surface was found to be bumpy and uneven, posing an injury risk. The report also highlighted a lack of directional signage leading to the stadium.

Inside, the dressing rooms were found to be inadequate, with the home team's lockers mostly non-functional and the away team's changing room having no lockers at all.

A recent assessment of the MTN Omondi Stadium has revealed a host of critical deficiencies, from a dangerously worn-out playing surface to inadequate facilities for teams and media, raising serious concerns about its suitability for hosting matches.

The artificial turf at the stadium is in a state of severe disrepair. The playing surface is significantly worn, with the goal areas highlighted as being in an "extremely dangerous state" that poses a serious risk of injury to players.

The issues extend beyond the pitch. The away team's changing room is equipped with only three functioning showers, a number well below the required standard for accommodating a full squad.

Furthermore, both male and female toilets and other conveniences throughout the facility are poorly finished and alarmingly lack doors, failing to provide basic privacy.

Other key infrastructure elements also fall short. The stadium's technical benches do not meet the required specifications for coaching staff and substitutes.

A separate report on the floodlights indicated an average illumination of 503 lux, which is insufficient and fails to meet the minimum lighting standards stipulated in stadium regulations.

The venue also lacks a designated media working area, hindering press coverage of events. Compounding these structural problems, the stadium's surroundings are unkempt and overgrown with thickets, creating a neglected and untidy appearance.