Uganda is on course to have its three stadiums ready for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA 2027 tournament by the end of December 2026, according to the Uganda Local Organising Committee (LOC).

The tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, is scheduled to begin on June 19, 2027. With about nine months remaining before kick-off, the LOC says preparations in Uganda are progressing following a second physical inspection by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The inspection covered Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium (AKOS), Hoima City Stadium (HCS) and Mandela National Stadium (MNS), together with nine of Uganda's 12 designated training facilities.

The training facilities inspected were AKOS Annex, HCS Annex, MNS Annex, Makerere University, Kyambogo University, FUFA Kadiba, Hoima Booma Grounds, Pece Memorial Stadium and Gulu University.

The LOC says all three stadiums are expected to be ready by the end of December 2026, while 10 of the 12 training facilities are also expected to be completed by then.

FUFA Kadiba and Sir Tito Winyi Senior Secondary School training facilities are expected to be completed by the end of January 2027 after being handed over to contractors later than the other projects.

The Ugandan government has provided the full funding required for the development of the three stadiums and the nine additional training facilities, according to the LOC.

A total of Shs135.7 billion has been allocated for the nine training facilities. The allocations include Shs21.9 billion for Makerere University, Shs20.2 billion for Masindi King George Stadium, Shs18.6 billion for Sir Tito Winyi Senior Secondary School and Shs16.5 billion for Kyambogo University.

Other allocations include Shs13.3 billion each for Hoima Booma, Pece Memorial Stadium, Gulu University and Lira University, while FUFA Kadiba has been allocated Shs5.2 billion.

At Mandela National Stadium, the remodelling project is progressing towards the December 31, 2026 completion target. The LOC praised the UPDF Civil Engineering Brigade, which is the main contractor for the MNS project and works on the additional training facilities.

At Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium, work is reported to be close to 80 percent complete and ahead of schedule.

Hoima City Stadium has also made substantial progress. The LOC says nearly 95 percent of the issues identified by CAF during its February 2026 inspection have been addressed. The main outstanding task is the installation of a VVIP pedestrian bridge linking the VVIP parking area to the VVIP lounge.

Meanwhile, preparations for the tournament are also creating opportunities for Ugandan businesses to provide goods and services.

The LOC says 850 potential suppliers have registered to participate in its procurement processes, with 650 already pre-qualified and the remaining applications still under review.

Businesses interested in supplying the LOC can register for prequalification through the official AFCON PAMOJA Uganda procurement platform. CAF has also opened tenders for various goods and services connected to AFCON 2027.

The LOC is encouraging local businesses to participate in the CAF tenders, saying the process could support local content as well as knowledge and technology transfer associated with hosting a major international sporting event.

Potential suppliers are also being encouraged to form consortiums or joint ventures where the size or scope of a contract requires broader capacity.

On the promotion of AFCON 2027, the LOC acknowledged public interest in seeing official promotional activities begin. However, it said CAF remains the owner of the tournament's brand rights and is working with the three host-country LOCs to finalise the official branding materials.

These include the tournament logo, mascot and theme song, among other promotional elements.

Once the materials are finalised, CAF is expected to provide the PAMOJA organising committees with an activation roadmap to guide official promotional activities ahead of the tournament.

The Uganda LOC says the government has already provided resources needed for its AFCON 2027 operations, including promotional activities leading up to the tournament.

With the June 2027 kick-off approaching, the completion of the stadium and training facility projects remains a major milestone in Uganda's preparations to host the continental football tournament.