Kampala – President Yoweri Museveni has directed government agencies to speed up preparations for Uganda’s co-hosting of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and pledged to engage his Kenyan and Tanzanian counterparts on a single East African visa to ease movement of fans, teams and officials across the three host countries.
The President issued the directives on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, at State House Entebbe after meeting Confederation of African Football (CAF) Acting Secretary General Samson Adamu and Uganda’s National AFCON Task Force, led by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja. The continental tournament, to be staged jointly by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania under the “Pamoja” banner, is scheduled to run from 19 June to 17 July 2027 — the first time AFCON will be hosted across three nations.
Museveni called for faster completion of priority infrastructure projects, including stadiums, training facilities, roads, airport upgrades and accommodation in host cities. Uganda will stage matches at Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Hoima City Stadium and Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium in Lira. Officials report that works at Akii-Bua are about 80 per cent complete, while Hoima City Stadium stands at roughly 95 per cent after additional CAF requirements were addressed. The three main stadiums and associated training grounds are targeted for completion by the end of December 2026.
Beyond stadiums, government has prioritised supporting infrastructure such as the Kabalega International Airport passenger terminal in Hoima, key road networks including the Busunju–Kiboga–Hoima corridor, and improvements in accommodation, health services and water supply. Museveni assured the CAF delegation that outstanding issues would be resolved promptly, citing Uganda’s successful hosting of the 2024 Non-Aligned Movement Summit involving about 150 countries as evidence of the country’s capacity. “I will unlock whatever needs to be unlocked, and I’m very sure the AFCON people will be very happy when they come here,” he said.
A central focus of the discussions was the proposed single East African (Pamoja) visa. CAF Secretary General Adamu specifically requested Museveni to fast-track the arrangement to allow seamless cross-border travel for supporters, teams, officials, media and other stakeholders. Museveni confirmed that discussions with Kenya and Tanzania had already begun and that he would follow up with his counterparts. The visa would enable visitors to move freely among the three countries for several months around the tournament without separate entry permits, building on existing regional arrangements such as the East African tourist visa that already covers Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda.
Prime Minister Nabbanja and the task force updated the President on progress across ministries and agencies. CAF officials, including Country Infrastructure Manager Bianca Wambui, commended the advances made so far, particularly on stadiums and training grounds, while emphasising the need for continued urgency to meet CAF standards.
With just over nine months remaining before kick-off, Uganda has entered a critical phase of preparations. The accelerated push for infrastructure delivery and a joint visa framework aims to ensure a smooth, fan-friendly tournament that strengthens regional integration while showcasing East Africa on the continental stage.