Pastor Joseph Sserwadda, the lead pastor of Victory Christian Centre has unveiled plans to build a state-of-the-art stadium for Uganda’s born-again Christian community.
The proposed ‘Balokole Stadium’ is estimated to cost $388 million (Shs 1.26 trillion) and will require at least 100 acres of land.
Pastor Joseph Sserwadda initially had a lower budget in mind but, after consulting a team of experts, it was determined that the project would need both more land and funding.
“We consulted a team of experts, and they informed us that the project would require $388 million, or Shs 1.26 trillion,” he explained.
The stadium is designed to host major national events, including government and sports functions, and will offer facilities for people to prepare weeks in advance for such events.
Plans for the stadium include a 5-star hotel with 200 rooms for high-profile guests, a conference center for 10,000 attendees, wedding gardens, and ample parking space.
Church elder Joel Zziwa shared that the stadium will also be surrounded by various income-generating projects, transforming it into more than just a place of worship.
“The experts gave us a plan that shows the stadium will be surrounded by shopping centers, a university, a chapel, and accommodation facilities,” Zziwa said.
He emphasized that the church is putting its faith into action, trusting that the necessary resources will come together over time.
“We left that meeting believing that God has everything we need,” he added.
Pastor Joseph Sserwadda’s vision for the stadium was sparked by a frustrating experience at the end of last year. After booking Namboole Stadium for his annual Passover prayer event on December 31st, he was informed just days before the event that the venue was no longer available. Despite reaching out to government officials, including State Minister for Sports Hon. Peter Ogwang, he received no clear explanation.
With no time to spare, Pastor Sserwadda arranged an alternative venue near Kabaka’s Lake in Ndeeba for the crossover prayers. This experience led him to initiate a fundraising campaign to build a dedicated stadium for the born-again community, ensuring that such last-minute disruptions would not happen again.
