By Kayiira Jackson
The newly sworn-in Bukoto East Member of Parliament, Babirye Kityo Sarah, has pledged to become a strong voice for Uganda’s sports industry in Parliament, promising to fight injustices and push for better accountability and support for sports federations and athletes.
Babirye made the remarks during a thanksgiving ceremony held on Wednesday at her home in Maya, Mpigi District, shortly after taking oath as the elected Member of Parliament for Bukoto East Constituency.
The former Uganda Netball Federation president said she is returning to Parliament with a mission to represent sports stakeholders and address long-standing challenges within the industry.
“I support sports, no doubt in that and I am back to represent my team at Parliament and not only play for the parliament but also to make sure that I plan for sports,” Babirye said.
She called upon athletes, administrators and other stakeholders facing injustices in sports to approach her for support.
“During my tenure in netball, I reached out to a number of MPs but they were fearing to talk about the injustices in the industry, so me who doesn’t fear any, here I am,” she added.
Babirye, who led the Uganda Netball Federation between 2021 and 2023, said she personally experienced mistreatment from authorities within the sports sector. She revealed that she was at one point jailed in Luzira, something she linked to her refusal to pay kickbacks.
The outspoken legislator stated that her difficult experiences have strengthened her resolve to fight for fairness, accountability and proper governance in sports.
She also hinted at future plans regarding netball, insisting she remains committed to the development of the sport despite the challenges she faced during her leadership.
“I am going to be the voice for sports, with netball I will be inviting you again and tell you our next step when it comes to netball,” she noted.
Her return to Parliament has been welcomed by several stakeholders in the sports fraternity, particularly from the netball community, who believe her experience as both a player and administrator makes her well suited to advocate for the sector.
Denis Mpoza, a netball stakeholder, described Babirye as a knowledgeable and passionate sports leader.
“Hon. Babirye is not an ordinary person when it comes to sports, she has played it, administered it and she will be talking about something she understands best,” Mpoza said.
He added that despite facing challenges during her tenure, Babirye contributed significantly to the growth of netball and remains committed to the game.
Former Uganda Netball Federation delegate from Namutumba District, Charles Balise Kirunda, also expressed optimism over her return to the August House.
“We believe a lot in Babirye, her returning to parliament is a big plus to us, the people of netball. Now she has the voice and platform and we believe the glory of sports is coming back to life,” Kirunda stated.
Renowned sports journalist Fifie Phiona Namiiro praised Babirye for her transparency and courage, saying the sports fraternity has finally secured an outspoken representative in Parliament.
“Babirye is a straightforward person, very transparent and she is unshaken. We all know what she did to revive netball. We believe this lady is going to fight for accountability and budget for sports,” Namiiro said.
Babirye previously served in Parliament between 2016 and 2021 as the Youth Member of Parliament for Central Region before returning as the directly elected MP for Bukoto East Constituency.
The swearing-in of Members of Parliament officially started on Wednesday at Parliament and is expected to continue until all the 529 legislators take oath before the end of next week.