Uganda Targets Fourth Straight Zone III Aquatics Championship Title
By Kayiira Jackson
Uganda is set to defend its Africa Aquatics Zone III Championship title when the regional competition returns to Kampala from October 21–25, with the hosts targeting a historic fourth consecutive crown.
The 2026 Africa Aquatics Zone III Championship will bring together seven countries — Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Somalia and Sudan — for five days of swimming, water polo, open water and masters competitions.
Uganda will host the swimming and water polo events at Kampala International School Uganda (KISU) in Bukoto, while the open water competition will be held at Entebbe Sailing Club.
The defending champions will enter the championship with an expanded 89-member swimming team and a 22-player water polo squad as they seek to maintain their dominance in the regional competition.
Uganda began its current winning run in Kigali in 2023, successfully defended the title in Bujumbura in 2024, before completing a third consecutive triumph in Nairobi in 2025.
Now, on home soil, the team is aiming to make it four titles in a row.
Uganda Aquatics president Moses Mwase said hosting the championship has provided the federation with an opportunity to give more swimmers a chance to compete by entering two teams.
“Team Uganda has a total of eighty-nine athletes. Because we are hosting, we have Team A and Team B, so we have selected four of the best athletes per event per age group. We have a total of 89 swimmers currently, and in water polo we have a total of 22 athletes,” Mwase said in the press briefing hosted at the Federation’s office on Saturday
The swimming competition will feature four age categories: Under 12, 13–14, 15–16 and 17 years and above.
Water polo will have Under-16 and 17-and-above categories, with the federation deliberately combining boys and girls as part of its long-term development programme.
“We’re going to have juniors and seniors. It will be a mixed activity, both girls and boys, as part of the water polo development plan,” Mwase explained.
The open water programme will feature 3km races for swimmers aged 15 and under and 5km races for those aged 16 and above. Masters swimmers aged 25 and above, together with athletes with disabilities, will compete over 1.5km.
Uganda’s preparations for the championship are already underway, with the national team conducting a six-day residential training camp.
By the third day of camp, about 80 percent of the selected athletes had already reported and completed three training sessions.
“Team Uganda has had three sessions so far. We know the athletes train from different clubs and different teams, but they have an ongoing camp. We have six different days of training and we are finishing day three,” Mwase said.
Although some Ugandan swimmers currently train outside the country and are expected to return for the championship, Mwase said the majority of the selected team is already in camp.
“The team is looking set. We have the biggest percentage of the athletes, 80 percent present. We know there are some athletes who are in different countries who will be coming back strictly for the event, but those present are training.”
The championship will also have a residential arrangement aimed at creating a unified environment for the participating teams.
The visiting teams and Uganda’s main swimming contingent will be accommodated at Speke Resort Munyonyo throughout the competition.
Water polo, open water and masters competitors will, however, remain at home because their respective competitions will be conducted as one-day events.
With entries closing on October 4, preparations are entering their final stage.
Uganda will now look to combine the advantage of competing on home soil with thorough preparations as it seeks to extend its Zone III dominance and retain the championship trophy for a fourth consecutive time.
The championship is supported by Uganda Development Bank, Uganda Airlines, Tooro Cement, AquaFina, the Government of Uganda and Plascon.