Sports: You thought we’re joking subject, UUSFA Meets Kadaga, Applauds Federations For Having a United Voice
The Union of Uganda Sports Federations and Associations members, today met with the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga to discuss Sports development in the country.
The Union came into existence December last year with an intention to have a united Voice as federations to advocate for Sports development in the country.
Last week UUSFA met with State Minister for sports, Hon. Hamson Obua and today Monday, 8, February, 2021 they managed to schedule a meeting with Speaker of Parliament, in her Chambers at Parliament, Kampala, and presented to her, the Union’s agenda and intentions to which she bought.
According to highlights shared to this website, the Speaker applauded the sports federations for coming together for a common cause and she promised to present their ideas to floor of Parliament.
“She was happy that sports federations had now united and had a bigger common voice unlike in the past when she has received too many different groups“
The highlights continue to indicate that the Speaker hinted on the process of amending the 1964 sports act as well as helping UUSFA to fulfill their developmental ideas.
“She mentioned that there may be need for a private members bill to fast track the amendment of the sports act of 1964
She pledged to inform the concerned committees of Parliament to take up the UUSFA requests and resolve them as pleaded by UUSFA
She informed all members present that UUSFA can count on parliament to help Ugandan sports attain better support for better development”
The full Highlights of the UUSFA Presentation to the Rt. Hon Speaker Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga and her reaction.
1. UUSFA was formed on 10th December 2020 at Kati Kati in Lugogo to advocate for more resources for sports development and to have a united voice for Ugandan Sports Federations and Associations
2. UUSFA is going to help solve the problem of dangerous youth Idleness and Unemployment by taking the numerous youths into Sports which can absorb them massively and quickly
3. Ugandan Sports will no longer be for mere fun, enjoyment and winning medals but more importantly for solving more important problems like fostering National Peace, Unity, Patriotism and Development
4. Sports funds will now be used for more foresighted purposes such as first developing our home before yearning almost exclusively for mostly foreign trips as these leave our home country underdeveloped while enriching already developed countries
5. The Federation development Master Plan will involve first setting up offices, secretariats, permanent or semi-permanent training venues, training camps, equipment, competitions and national team salaries then later the plan will change to commercialisation of sports for further growth and self-sustainability
6. The urgent need to increase the extremely low sports budget and also create the funding policy that will guide the entire sports sector on where and how sports funds should be utilized to achieve the best impact
7. The need to eliminate the priority and non-priority distortion currently in our sports sector as it destroying the lives and careers of all athletes and coaches in the sports now labeled as a Non-Priority to this country
8. Admiration for the wonderful spirit and direction that our Minister Hon. Hamson Obua has thus far taken by embracing UUSFA and seeing its potential to advocate for better sports development in liaison with other government bodies like NCS, MOES and UOC.
9. Assistance with discussions, repeal and amendment of the obsolete 1964 sports act so that sports can tap financing from the private sector and also commercialise better under enabling laws
The speaker in her response made the following remarks:
a) She was happy that sports federations had now united and had a bigger common voice unlike in the past when she has received too many different groups
b) She condemned the unfair treatment of some federations in terms of very low or no budget allocations
c) She hinted on the sports amendment process that had started but the bill had never come to the floor of parliament for the first reading
d) She mentioned that there may be need for a private members bill to fast track the amendment of the sports act of 1964
e) She pledged to inform the concerned committees of Parliament to take up the UUSFA requests and resolve them as pleaded by UUSFA
f) She informed all members present that UUSFA can count on parliament to help Ugandan sports attain better support for better development
Members Present
» Mwebesa Harry – Kickboxing (Head of Delegation)
» Jjagwe Robert – Table Tennis (Interim Sec. Gen)
» Annie Mungoma – Shooting
» Bamuteeze Thomas – Rollball
» Mwaka Emmanuel – Chess
» Ruparelia Devesh Babulal – Motor Sports
»Nashimolo Michael – Hockey
»Kawooya Micheal Raymond – Squash
» Kinsambwe Arnold Lawrence – Netball
» Makanda Jaffari Ibrahim – Lacrosse
»Mujuni Edgar – Kabadi
»Abdul Nasser Ssemugabi – Monitor
» Muganga Fahad – Uganda Radio Network
» Nantinda Rehemah – Top TV