Government has revealed plans to enlist Turkish construction company, Summa, to construct a modern state-of-the-art multipurpose indoor sports arena, a development that is likely to elicit excitement within the entertainment industry.
The indoor arena will have a seating capacity of 15,000 people, according to a statement by State House.
It follows a meeting held Tuesday between President Yoweri Museveni and a team from Summa Construction Company. The meeting was also attended by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni and Minister of State for Sports, Peter Ogwang.
The President welcomed Summa to Uganda and pledged government’s support towards the construction of the complex which is set to be put up at the National Council of Sports (NCS) premises in Lugogo.
The facility will include a multipurpose indoor arena with the seating capacity of 15,000 people, a small indoor sports Arena with a seating capacity of 3,000 people, a 25m- eight (8) lane swimming pool, a multi-purpose standard pitch and an athlete hostel with a capacity of 60 people.
The Complex will also have an accommodation facility with 120 rooms as well as a showroom, shopping center and a state-of-the-art fitness gym, among other amenities.
The technical team also informed the President that the current state of the sports facilities at Lugogo does not meet the standard to host international competitions and yet such international events are in one way or the drivers of economic success because they generate revenue while at the same time create jobs and more investments.
Murat Altun, the Project Manager of Summa Construction Company said the firm is ready to work on the project and will complete it on time.
Other projects that the company has executed include the Senegal stadium, Diori Hamani International Airport (Niger), Radisson Blu Hotel & Conference Center (Niger), Dakar Arena (Senegal), Kigali Convention Center and Hotel (Rwanda) and Blaise Diagne International Airport (Senegal) among others.
Summa is the same company that constructed the BK Arena (formerly known as Kigali Arena) in Kigali, Rwanda. The BK Arena is a 10,000-capacity indoor arena for indoor sports such as basketball, handball, volleyball, and tennis. It took Summa only six months to complete the construction.
The arena has from time to time been repurposed for music concerts and other entertainment events, the most recent one being the Giants of Africa Festival that featured Davido, Tiwa Savage and Diamond Platnumz.
Rwandan music star, Bruce Melodie held his 10-year anniversary concert in the same venue in 2022. Other previous key events being the Kiss Summer Awards, Sauti Sol, Meddy in Concert, The Ben Rebirth and the CHOGM Fashion Show Exhibition.
The Arena will also host the Boyz II Men concert as well as the inaugural Trace Awards in October this year. The awards will feature performances from continental artistes like, Davido, Asake, Black Sherif and Kizz Daniel among many others.
The facility which is branded as “a state-of-the-art world class hub for entertainment, sports and events and is fast becoming East Africa’s most sought-after venue” is part of Rwanda’s strategy to position itself as the ideal destination for global meetings, conferences and events.
For a long time, Kampala has suffered a deficit of spacious indoor spaces where entertainment events organizers can host galas, concerts and other related events. The only option being Kampala Serena Hotel’s Victoria Ballroom. But its seating capacity is only limited to 1,500 people which is a deterrent to organizers targeting mass crowds.
Booking the Victoria Ballroom is in the range of Shs 25m to Shs 30m which again makes it a disincentive compared to outdoor venues like Lugogo Grounds (formerly Zoe Grounds), Lugogo Cricket Oval and Kololo Independence Grounds that attract bigger numbers.
An indoor arena presents add-on amenities such as VIP Suites with private entrances, commercial and sponsor foyers, numerous public gathering and event spaces, changing rooms, team facilities, press and media facilities that are all important in the entertainment ecosystem. The retail units would also offer different tiers of revelers options for food and beverages.
In a recent interview with Plugged on the same issue, Martin ‘Beta’ Muhumuza who is the manager for Grammy-nominated singer, Eddy Kenzo admitted there is a pressing need for an indoor venue for entertainment events, but cited some factors that complicate solving this challenge.
“It all goes back to finance. I’ve traveled the world and seen arenas. But to build such an arena requires a lot of money and space,” Beta told Plugged.
“Look at Kampala. Where will you find 5 or 10 acres where you can construct such a facility? It requires planning. It’s not something we will just wake up and randomly make noise about saying ‘We don’t have this. We must do this’. We need to appreciate the logistics involved,” he added.
Convenience is a critical aspect in entertainment, he adds.
“The areas that have ample space for such a development are situated outside Kampala. Are you sure 20,000 people can drive out of Kampala for an event? Who is going to invest over a million dollars in an entertainment venue in an isolated place?”
While he agreed that government would be the ideal investor given it has prime land at its disposal, he notes that it has taken time for it (government) to appreciate the potential in the arts and creative sector.
“After Covid, government began paying attention to the sector. I think government is open to discussing with musicians. Now it goes back to the musicians. Are you ready to discuss? And do you know what you want to discuss? Also, if you want government to invest, what is in for it?” Beta explained.
Given a spacious indoor venue, most concert organizers would not opt for an outdoor venue due to the additional costs such as ample sound, security logistics, lighting, gigantic stage among others. This on top of other risks like bad weather which threaten the success of a show.
The economics of the events business is such that one has to find an equilibrium that allows them spend the least and earn the most. Factors of demand and supply also apply. Ideally, the more facilities come on the market, the more likely the cost of hiring them will come down.
It also remains to be seen whether the new indoor arena in Lugogo will be affordable to the private players. For example, booking the BK Arena, which too is a government property costs between $17,000 to $25,000. This is two to three times the average cost for the popular venues in Kampala.
