Written By | Alex Mbamanya
Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Sports
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Parliament
Following Uganda’s successful bid to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Government has revealed that it is considering submitting a bid in 2031 to host the FIFA World Cup .
The revelation was made by Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Sports, while appearing before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) during consideration of the December 2025 Auditor General’s report.
Dr. Turyagyenda’s remarks came in response to concerns raised by Members of Parliament over the meagre pay earned by sports professionals, a trend she attributed to the Government’s current focus on developing sports infrastructure.
She acknowledged the country’s exponential population growth and the excitement generated by Uganda’s recent gold medals in athletics, as well as the growing earnings of sportsmen and women. However, she emphasised that the Government’s priority remains the completion and expansion of sports infrastructure.
“However, the big plan for infrastructure development is to construct other stadia in different regions. I think we will keep pushing for what you have just mentioned, that we now get bigger stadia, which are more than 45,000-seater capacity. So that eventually, if we bid and are granted the opportunity to host a World Cup, we have the stadia to stage it. The next bid is for 2031 for the World Cup, and I think we are already thinking about it because we are going to have at least three stadia that we believe can be considered,” Dr. Turyagyenda said.
In 2025, all 211 FIFA Member Associations convened virtually at an Extraordinary FIFA Congress and appointed Morocco, Portugal and Spain as hosts of the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Three centenary celebration matches will also be held in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay—one in each country—while Saudi Arabia is expected to host the 2034 tournament.
Uganda is currently undertaking major stadium upgrades and construction projects in preparation for AFCON 2027, a move officials say could lay the groundwork for future global tournament bids.
If all goes as planned, Uganda will be looking at the upcoming world cup tournaments in the 2038 or 2042
Torch Media Africa
