On Saturday, a Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) delegation, led by Namibia’s Deputy-Prime Minister, Hon Dr. Nandi Ndaitwah Netumbo, and the ruling party SWAPO’s first-ever female presidential candidate scheduled for November 2024, paid a visit to Hamz Stadium at Nakivubo War Memorial Grounds. The delegation, including Uganda-Namibia ambassador H.E Hon Godfrey Kirumira, explored the impressive work accomplished by businessman Hamis Kiggundu, who single-handedly brought to fruition a world-class stadium in Uganda.
The Namibian leader, Dr. Nandi Ndaitwah Netumbo, extended an invitation to Mr. Kiggundu to replicate his success in Namibia by constructing a similar world-class stadium, mirroring the Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium in Uganda. Kiggundu expressed his pleasure in hosting the Namibian delegation, especially Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who was visibly impressed by the Nakivubo stadium project.
Namibia’s Deputy-Prime Minister recognized Mr. Kiggundu’s achievement in building Nakivubo stadium with exclusively African resources, from financing to engineering. Impressed by this display of African capability, Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah invited Kiggundu to embark on a similar project in Namibia, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of sports infrastructure in the region.
Amenities
The proposed stadium, set to host AFCON 2027 matches, is designed with ample parking and features modern amenities such as gyms, training facilities, offices, and a health facility for sportsmen and women, offering essential first aid and medical attention. Additionally, the stadium includes a modern basketball court, netball court, a boxing ring, and first-class sitting areas catering to VVIPs with self-contained executive boxes, VIPs, and ordinary seating. Accommodations for players and delegates are also provided within the premises.
The stadium boasts a standard-size football pitch approved by a team from the Confederation of African Football, who inspected the site before granting approval for AFCON 2027.
According to the businessman, the multifaceted sports complex exemplifies the potential for African self-sufficiency and development, guided by a sense of patriotism and the blessings of God.
It was such a pleasure hosting Hon Dr Netumbo Nandi -Ndaitwah the first female Nambian president in waiting ….she was so impressed by Nakivubo stadium project and invited me to do the same in Namibia pic.twitter.com/1YcTV4NQ9e
— Hamis Kiggundu (@KiggunduHamis) January 20, 2024
As Hamis Kiggundu takes on the monumental task of building a second national stadium for Africa in Namibia, the continent witnesses a crucial step toward enhancing sports infrastructure and fostering African collaboration.
Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah
Namibian politician and Deputy-Prime Minister since March 2015, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, is a notable figure in SWAPO, Namibia’s ruling party. Having retained her position as the current SWAPO vice president, she is set to become the party’s first female presidential candidate in November 2024.
Nandi-Ndaitwah has been actively serving as Namibia’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation since December 2012, with previous roles including Minister of Environment and Tourism from March 2010 to December 2012. Her election as the vice-president of the Swapo Party in 2017 marked a historic moment, as she became the first woman to hold that position.
