By Silvano Kibuuka
The dirtiest sporting federations
in terms of accountability and
whose leaders were pushed
into jail this year have turned out to
produce white linen results at the
continental engagements.
Their athletes put on spectacular
performances to achieve top notch
results for the country in the
continental competitions that have
run between July and August 2023.
The national She Cranes team
finished in fifth place overall at the
2023 World Netball Cup in South
Africa after edging the hosts 49-
47 goals in the positioning decider
match on August 7 in Cape Town.
They also ended the Netball
World Cup 2023 as number one on
the African continent, the country’s
highest ever position Uganda has
ever held in this game.
For chronology, the President
of Uganda Netball Federation
(UNF) Sarah Babirye Kityo (still on
suspension from office) was the first
to test the ice when Buganda Road
Court remanded her to Luzira Prison
on charges of obtaining 16 million
shillings by falsely pretending to
take people to United States.
But surprisingly, the offences were
not directly linked to funds given to
UNF from the government arm NCS.
Babirye’s accusers included Sarah
Wamala who claimed she paid her
eight million shillings to take her
son overseas and Gloria Kikomeko
Nantambi who says she paid Babirye
another eight million shillings to
take her.
Babirye was jointly charged with
a business woman Zainab Namutebi
for offences committed in May 2022
in Kampala.
The duo pleaded not guilty to
two counts of obtaining money by
false pretense before Grade One
magistrate Siena Owomugisha and
were remanded to prison until 17th
May for another hearing especially
for their bail application.
The application of the former
youth member of parliament,
Babirye together with her co-accused
businesswoman Zainab Namutebi
were granted bail as due to appear in
court again on June 6.
Babirye’s husband, also the UNF
marketing officer Dan Ntale and
her sister-in-law Dorothy Lwanga a
teacher at Kitebi Primary School were
her sureties.
She was asked to pay a one million
shillings cash bond, while her two
sureties were each asked to pay a noncash bond of four million shillings.
But later proceedings indicated that
the case was settled out of court.
But prior to the arrest, Babirye
had been temporarily interdicted
from office on April 21 2023 for
three months after a meeting of high
delegated government officials.
The meeting directed that in the
period, her vice president, Brigadier
Flavia Byekwaso would take over
as interim president to ensure the
activities of the federation do not
come to a halt.
But Babirye did not give up to her
passion through the team training
and went with it to South Africa.
The best gift she got was the team
to put the best achievements ever to
become Africa’s number one after the
World Cup.
Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF)
President Moses Muhangi was the
second culprit to test the jail when he
was arrested and remanded to Luzira
prison on charges of forgery and
uttering a false document.
Muhangi, the UBF President and a Kampala businessman, a resident of Kololo in Kampala district was
arraigned before Nakawa chief
magistrate Ritah Neumbe Kidasa.
The court heard that Muhangi
together with Lydia Namutebi who
is the former accountant of UBF,
between the months of March and
April 2022 at the head offices of the
federation in Lugogo in Kampala
district, forged a company receipt of
Tents 4 U Company Ltd.
The court further heard that,
Muhangi, on April 19, 2022, at the
National Council of Sports (NCS)
offices at Lugogo knowingly and
fraudulently uttered a false document
purporting to have been issued by the
owners of the Tents 4 U whereas not.
He however denied the charges
against him and as a result, he was
remanded to Luzira prison until May
But while Muhangi spent 13 days
in Luzira prison, the UBF office at
Lugogo kept locked.
The landlord, NCS indicated that
the issue peddled on non – payment
of office rental arrears of sh10m
that had to be remitted to URA, the
government revenue collecting body.
But by now, the office resumed after
UBF management began to remit the
funds.
On July 13, the Bombers team
that included 17 boxers entered a
residential training camp to prepare
for the Africa Elite Men’s and
Women’s Boxing Championship in
Yaounde, Cameroon.
The team got into camp at Buloba
Forest Park on July 13 for the
continental championship that was
due July 25-Aug 6.
It saw drastic changes that included
changing the perennial head coach
Patrick Lihanda who got replaced by
Ahead of the tournament had a
chat with Bombers Head coach Twaib
Mayanja.
The other significant change was
for the team to have the biggest
contingent ever in almost a decade as
it had 17 boxers
(11 males and 6 women).
From the tournament, Uganda
ripped two silver and five bronze
medals.
Names of the winners Wasswa Ssali
Amir and light Welterweight female
boxer Erina Namutebi who each
bagged sh37m ($10000).
The bronze medalists included
Ukasha Matovu (welterweight),
Ronald Okello (lightweight), Salomon
Geko (heavyweight), Grace Nankinga
and Lady’s captain Emily Nakalema.
They each smiled home to $5,000,
which is an equivalent of close to 18
million Uganda shillings.
Muhangi gave the accolade to the
boxing fans in Bwaise where the team
was flagged off from to Yaounde and
got a triumphant welcome on return
with medals.
UBF patron Mike Mukula hosted
the team for a dinner.
Muhangi expressed joy for the
performance.
“We have produced good results
despite starting preparations late.
The performance has paid back
for the funds we received from the
government,” Muhangi noted.
The third federation under scrutiny
is Uganda Table Tennis Association.
On July 4 when the minister of state
for sports Peter Ogwang warned that
the UTTA President Robert Jjagwe
was due to appear for interrogation
over accountability.
Jjagwe, on recovery from hospital,
has continued to perfect his game.
He has scored by organizing a
national trial for the Eastern Africa
Region Under 11 years Hope
Championship due to take place in
Kigali in September.
UTTA has also sent an athlete,
Joseph Sebatindira to the West Africa
Region Hope Championship played
on August 3-9 in Abidjan.
