It is exactly 100 years since Nakivubo Stadium (now Hamz Stadium) today was officially opened. For long, the Stadium served as the home for national football teams since its inception.
The first game played at Nakivubo Stadium took place on 1st April 1926 between the Uganda Senior Men’s National Team and the Uganda U-18 National Team. Over the years, there have been several memorable games played at the venue for both local football clubs and National Teams.
The area where the stadium currently sits was donated by Kabaka Daudi Cwa II of Buganda, initially serving as a colonial-era recreation ground.
In 1954, the stadium was renamed Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium to honor Ugandan soldiers who lost their lives during World War II. The renaming followed legislative action under the Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium Trust Act passed by the Parliament of Uganda.
However, by the 21st century, the stadium was in a dilapidated state and needed refurbishing. In 2015, businessman Hamis Kiggundu signed a Public-Private partnership with the Government of Uganda to renovate the facility.
The renovated stadium was officially commissioned by the President of the Republic of Uganda H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on 25th April 2024. It is now a 35,000 all-seater stadium with 20,000 ordinary seats, 10,000 VIP seats, 5,000 VVIP seats and 40 Executive Boxes.
On 1st June 2024, a grand opening ceremony took place with the first games played at the newly refurbished stadium seeing URA FC defeat Kitara FC 3-0 while SC Villa edged Express FC 1-0.
