Jamil Sewanyana, the Managing Director of Namboole Stadium has presented a debtors document before parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and it indicates that the stadium management is demanding its tenants and clients Shs1.18 billion.
The major listed debtors include Mike Mukula’s Fortune Energy Limited that took over the rent and management of Mandela Sports hotel. According to the document, Fortune Energy Limited owes the stadium management Shs735 million which has accumulated since 2018 after the expiration of their grace period.
The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party was also listed among the debtors. NRM hosted a delegates’ conference in September 2010 at the facility and Shs150.8 million was not paid.
Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) and Pioneer Easy Bus Limited were also on the list as each was being demanded Shs205 million and Shs91 million respectively.
Sewanyana said that with such long taking debtors, the facility can almost do nothing to carry out the needed renovations.
“This has arisen due to the outstanding old debts and a long history of debtors. The stadium infrastructure has aged and no major renovations have been made to the main stadium structure for the last 20 years. The company has repositioned itself. However, it needs recapitalization so that it can achieve total self-reliance,” reads the document in part.
The new revelations have come after PAC demanded for an inquiry to be carried out following a disclosure in the June 2018 Auditor General’s report that the stadium had accumulated domestic arrears of up to Shs875.3 million.