MANDELA STADIUM MISMANAGEMENT! Sh2.4bn Debts, Sh82bn Insurance Lapse, Sh2.8bn Contract Fiasco Exposed Under MD Ssewanyana Watch

KAMPALA, UGANDA — Mandela National Stadium Limited management has come under scrutiny after the Auditor General uncovered a series of financial, procurement, asset management and governance failures that have left the national facility exposed to potential financial losses.

The findings, contained in the Auditor General’s report as of December 2025, point to serious lapses in the management of the stadium, with millions and billions of shillings tied up in outstanding receivables, questionable procurement decisions, unapproved contracts and assets left without insurance cover.

At the centre of the day-to-day management of Mandela National Stadium Limited is Managing Director Jamil Sewanyana, who leads the stadium’s operations and current infrastructure upgrades, while overall policy and governance is provided by a nine-member Board of Directors.

The Auditor General established that receivables totaling Sh2.452 billion had remained outstanding for ten years, raising concerns that the money may ultimately be uncollectable.

The prolonged failure to recover the funds has left the stadium carrying receivables that have accumulated for a decade, raising questions about the effectiveness of management’s efforts to collect money owed to the entity.

The audit also uncovered a procurement worth Sh604 million that was undertaken without being included in the approved procurement plan and without clearance from the Solicitor General.

The procurement irregularity adds to concerns about whether proper procedures were being followed in the management of the stadium’s public resources.

In another major finding, the stadium awarded a multi-year contract worth Sh2.839 billion without obtaining Parliament’s approval.

The Auditor General’s findings raise questions about how such a major financial commitment was entered into without the required parliamentary approval.

The stadium also failed to properly plan for the disposal of obsolete assets.

According to the audit, 134 obsolete assets that had been recommended for disposal in the 2023/24 financial year were not included in the disposal plan for 2024/25.

The omission means that assets already identified as obsolete continued to sit outside the subsequent disposal plan, pointing to weaknesses in the entity’s asset management processes.

Even more worrying, the Auditor General found that the stadium’s insurance cover for assets valued at Sh82.013 billion had expired.

The lapse in insurance left the entity’s massive asset base exposed to potential financial losses in the event of damage, destruction or other risks covered under an insurance policy.

With Mandela National Stadium holding assets worth more than Sh82 billion, the failure to maintain valid insurance cover has exposed the public facility to potentially significant financial consequences.

The accumulation of the audit findings paints a picture of weaknesses across several areas of management, from recovery of outstanding debts and procurement planning to contract approvals, disposal of obsolete assets and protection of the stadium’s property.

The issues have also placed the spotlight on those entrusted with running and governing Mandela National Stadium Limited and their responsibility to ensure that public resources are properly managed and protected.

Mandela National Stadium Limited is operated by the stadium’s management under Managing Director Jamil Sewanyana, while the nine-member Board of Directors is responsible for overall policy and governance.

The Auditor General’s findings therefore raise questions about the effectiveness of both the management and governance structures in preventing the financial and administrative lapses identified during the audit.

The revelations come at a time when Mandela National Stadium remains one of Uganda’s key national sporting facilities and is undergoing infrastructure upgrades, making proper financial management, procurement compliance and protection of its assets particularly important.