Construction works for Masaka Recreation Centre kicks off
A fenced-off section of Masaka Recreation Grounds whose construction has kicked off. PHOTO | MALIK FAHAD JJINGO
What you need to know:
- Mr John Lule, the supervising consultant of the project, explained that the issues of encroachment on the stadium land partly contributed to the delays in the construction works since they had to make several adjustments in the designs.
Construction works for Masaka Recreation Stadium have kicked off, three months after the site was handed over to the contractor. The project is expected to take 18 months before completion.
Mr John Lule, the supervising consultant of the project, said though they were delayed by several activities of surveying the land several times, they have completed fencing off and grading the site and actual construction works have kicked off.
He explained that the issues of encroachment on the stadium land partly contributed to the delays in the construction works since they had to make several adjustments in the designs.
“We informed the city leaders about part of the stadium land which had been encroached upon, but we have enough space to execute the first phase of the project,” he said during an interview on Saturday.
The first phase of the project, Mr Lule, said is going to focus on constructing the eastern and western pavilions (steel and concrete respectively) and laying an artificial turf.
The Shs19b project is being undertaken by Kaleta Constructions Limited.
Masaka City Council Roads Committee chairperson, Dr Abed Bwanika, said the kickoff of the construction works gives them the guts to start lobbying for more funds for the project.
“The entire Parliament will be in this city early next month [September], and they would like to tour the stadium to see the progress of the construction works and this will be an opportunity to ask for more funds to run the project,” he added.
In the second phase of the project, the contractor will construct the athletics pitch, two extra stands, a swimming pool, and a gym among others.
After completion, the upgraded stadium will have a sitting capacity of 15,000 people, with space for several indoor games including basketball and volleyball courts among other facilities.
The stadium will also have conference rooms, offices, restaurants and guest houses, security rooms and parking lots for VIPs and ambulances. There will also be shops to raise some revenue to help maintain the facility.
Currently, the stadium lacks enough spectator seating, grandstands and proper lavatory facilities.
Opened in 1954 by Sir Andrew Cohen, the former British Governor, the existing stadium commonly known as Masaka Recreation Ground has not had any major renovation in the last 68 years.
The recreation facility is among the infrastructure that got bombed during the 1979 Tanzanian invasion, which led to the overthrow of former President Idi Amin’s government. It has a pavilion and changing rooms for both the host and visiting teams, but all these are currently in a sorry state.
