Makerere Steps Up Preparations to Host 15th FEAUS Games
By Kyeyune Ali
Makerere University has stepped up preparations to host the 15th edition of the Federation of East Africa University Sports (FEAUS) Games after taking over the hosting rights from the University of Dodoma in Tanzania.
The FEAUS Organizing Committee on Friday began a two-day delegates’ meeting at Makerere University to assess the institution’s readiness and discuss preparations for the 2026 games.
Delegates from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania convened at Makerere University, where key issues including eligibility, age cheating, registration, accommodation, facilities and competition timelines were discussed.
The University of Dodoma was initially scheduled to host the games but withdrew about two months ago due to logistical challenges, prompting Makerere University to take over the hosting responsibilities.
One of the major concerns raised during the meeting was age cheating, with FEAUS rules restricting participation to students aged 25 and below.
Delegates resolved to take tough action against universities, players and sports tutors found guilty of fielding ineligible athletes, including possible legal action and bans.
FEAUS Vice President in charge of Technical Affairs said the federation had introduced strict measures to combat the longstanding problem.
“Age cheating has been a challenge over the years. But today, if you look at the meeting, it’s like everybody wants to attack that animal. One of the things that we have put in place from the technical aspect is that if we find you having someone who is not eligible, we shall kick you out of the village and be disqualified,” he said.
With more than 30 universities expected to participate, the organizers have also set strict deadlines for registration and submission of teams.
Teams must complete registration and payment by October 30, with no entries accepted after the deadline. The draws will be conducted on November 9, when the fixtures will also be released.
Participating teams will be allowed to access the Games Village from December 13, which will serve as the official arrival date. Preliminary-round competitions will follow between 15-20 December 2026.
Makerere University says about 90 percent of its facilities are ready to accommodate the games.
Makerere University sports tutor Joseph Mugera said the institution has sufficient facilities and accommodation capacity to host the regional university sports extravaganza.
“As far as the facilities are concerned, I can say about 90 percent of the facilities at Makerere University are ready. Only Makerere Sports Ground is still under construction, but we believe it will be ready for the games,” Mugera said.
He added that Makerere can host the majority of the sporting disciplines, although swimming could require the organizers to use an additional facility outside the university.
On accommodation, Mugera said Makerere’s nine halls of residence can accommodate more than 6,000 students.
“Makerere University alone has nine halls of residence, three of which are for females and six for males. All of them put together can accommodate close to over 6,000 students, so we believe that is a big enough number to accommodate all the visitors coming,” he said.
The delegates are expected to conclude their activities in Uganda with an inspection of the available facilities on Saturday, September 19, including the swimming pool, football pitches and indoor arenas.
The 2026 edition will also feature the fourth edition of the FEAUS Games for students with disabilities.
The disability games were introduced during the 2018 edition in Dodoma, Tanzania, before continuing at Ndejje University in Uganda in 2022 and Maseno University in Kenya in 2024.
A total of 21 sporting disciplines are expected to feature at the games. They include football, basketball, athletics, netball, rugby, chess, swimming, taekwondo, karate, badminton, volleyball, handball, scrabble, table tennis, lawn tennis, goalball, sitting volleyball, showdown, woodball, darts and hockey.
FEAUS President welcomed the delegates’ strong position against age cheating, saying the discussions demonstrated a collective commitment to protecting the integrity of the games.
“I’m glad that we had a serious debate on age cheating. It means that people are not only aware but are very much against it. So, we are hoping that this time round we shall not have any cases of ineligible students coming to our games,” the FEAUS President said.
The organizers say adherence to the eligibility rules, registration deadlines and other regulations will be central to ensuring a smooth and credible 15th edition of the regional university games.