What sports federations, associations received in FY2021/22 NCS allocation

By Emmanuel Sekago

Kampala – Sports is one thing that promotes the image of Uganda continentally and globally when it comes to competitions, with many medals won ranging from the Olympics, Commonwealth games, among others over the years.

Uganda has 51 sports federations and associations all under the National Council of Sports, and that’s where government sends its funding to help them prepare well so as to represent the nation very well.

This week, Wallnetnews has been unearthing a lot of dirt in National Council of Sports mismanagement of sports federations and associations funds.

In 2022, sports federations and associations struggled to prepare national teams for the Commonwealth games and other competitions that even became a matter of concern on the floor of Parliament.

On Tuesday, 3rd May 2022, the Shadow Minister for Sports, Godfrey Kayemba, raised on a matter of national importance in regard to the lack of funds to facilitate Uganda’s participation in the Commonwealth Games that was due to take place starting on July 28^th to August 8^th 2022.

“We want results and good performance but we are not participating in the preparations for better results. We request the government to expedite funds for the sports people who are to participate at the Commonwealth Games in two months’ time,” Kayemba said at the time.

At the time, the Speaker requested for an enhancement of the sports budget in the next financial year 2022-2023.

“We need a team to go and represent the country, and we need to prioritize sports in the next financial year so that we avoid adhoc decisions like these. All we need as Parliament is a team to go,” Speaker Among said.

The then State Minister for Sports now Government Chief Whip Hamson Obua during the session, chaired by Speaker Anita Among, said that government had plans to fund the athletes since it was in the plan to facilitate the National Council of Sports with additional funding of Shs4.7b to support athletes.

Minister Obua, confirmed to Parliament that Team Uganda would travel for the Commonwealth games in the United Kingdom.

Obua further told MPs during plenary on Tuesday, May 10^th 2022 that during a recent meeting with the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, it was agreed that funds would be released in two quarters.

“The ministry will release funds in two installments in the fourth quarter for financial year 2021-2022 and first quarter of the financial year 2022/2023 to facilitate the teams in qualification, preparation and presentation Team Uganda at the Commonwealth games 2022,” Obua said.

In this edition, we have yet unearthed what sports federations and associations received in the financial year 2021-2022 and below is the breakdown of what the first twelve sports federations and associations received.

Starting with Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) on 31st August 2021 received Shs2,500,825,892 as government release for first quarter 2021/22, October 15^th 2021 received Shs2,499,374,308 as government release for second quarter financial year 2021/2022.

On March 17^th 2022, they received Shs1,500,000,000 as payment for government release for the third quarter of financial year 2021/2022 and on May 30^th 2022, received Shs2,000,000,000 as government release for fourth quarter financial year 2021/2022 all channeled through a DFCU Bank account.

The Federation of Uganda Basketball Association (FUBA) on March 17^th 2022 received Shs72,016,820 as payment for Council support towards men’s world cup qualifiers in Benguela, Angola, and on June 8^th 2022, received Shs32,929,250 as payment for Council support towards FIBA, Afro-basket (U-18) zone v preliminaries 2022, at MTN Arena, Lugogo through the Federation’s Stanbic Bank account.

Uganda Table Tennis Association (UTTA) through the Orient Bank account on Marc 18^th 2022, received Shs32,000,000 as payment for Council support towards team preparation for Commonwealth games 2022 and on June 8^th 2022, received Shs41,150,000 as payment for team preparation for Commonwealth games Birmingham 2022.

Uganda Golf Union in the whole financial year through Stanbic Bank account on November 2nd 2021 received Shs80,000,000 as financial support towards organizing Uganda Open 2021 preparations, while Uganda Tennis Association (UTA) through Stanbic Bank account on October 15th 2021 received Shs35,000,000 as financial support towards organizing and hosting U-12 and African team championships in Uganda from 12^th to 15^th October 202.

On the same day, they received Shs18,694,137 as financial support towards attending annual general meeting of the International Tennis Federation from 2nd to 9^th December 2021, and on March 18^th 2021, received Shs2,700,647 as payment for Confederation of Africa Tennis annual subscription for 2022.

The Uganda Squash Rackets Association through a Diamond Trust Bank account, on Feb 28^th 2022, received Shs345,022 as payment for annual subscription fees for World Squash Federation. On March 17th 2022, received Shs1,080,259 as payment for annual subscription to World Squash federation and Squash Federation of Africa, and on June 6^th 2022 received Shs19,330,000 as payment for preparation for the Commonwealth games training camp for 3 weeks.

Uganda Taekwondo Federation through its Bank of Africa account on October  15^th 2021, received Shs48,000,000 as financial support towards officiating officials capacity building and national team selection, and on March 18^th 2022, received Shs9,000,000 as financial support towards organizing coaches/instructors course, Chairman’s Cup Open Taekwondo championships and junior championships.

The Uganda Rugby Union (URU) was among the best beneficiaries and through their Stanbic Bank account, on October 25th 2021 received Shs98,250,000 as financial support to team Uganda participating for RWC and Common wealth games.

On March 21^st 2022, they received Shs70,000,000 as payment for team preparation for rugby world cup and Commonwealth games 2022, and on May 30th 2022 received shs181,500,000 as payment for government release for team qualifier for Commonwealth games in Birmingham, England.

A little known sports association called Uganda Zurkhaneh Association on Sept 21^st 2021 through DFCU Bank account received Shs20,620,152 as financial support towards team travelling to Kyiv, Ukraine for combat Jujustu world championship and congress from 19^th to 22nd August 2022.

 Another sports body known as Kabbadi Federation of Uganda through United Bank of Africa (UBA) account on October  25^th 2021, received Shs18,620,152 as financial support towards the upcoming international exchange program just Kabaddi league season 10, India, Haryana from 25^th -November to 21^st  – December 2021, while Association of Uganda University Sports (AUUS) through their Stanbic Bank account on September 28^th 2021, received Shs63,000,000 as financial support from National Council of Sports for an unknown competition.

Lastly Gymnastic Association of Uganda through their Centenary Bank account on August 31^st 2021, received Shs6,310,400 as facilitation to cater for the fig Africa development officer-Tseko Mogotsi, and on October 15^th 2021 received Shs31,692,305.

According to sources, there was no clear reason what these monies were meant for. Attempts to get a comment from the Gymnastic Association president were futile as his known mobile phones numbers were switched off by press time.

Meanwhile, two sporting federations and associations; Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) and Uganda Chess Federation (UCF) according to sources, never received any single funding in the whole financial year 2021-2022. But efforts to unearth who received what in financial year 2021-2022 continues as we engage all sports federation and associations presidents.