Sports lawyer Timothy Kajja says that any direct government intervention in the affairs of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) can expose Uganda to sanctions from world football governing body FIFA.
Kajja notes that FIFA statutes strictly prohibit political interference in the running of member associations, adding that breaches could lead to suspension.
“FIFA and CAF statutes all prohibit any form of political interference,” Kajja explained. “If detected, the FIFA Council may temporarily suspend the Member Association, in this case FUFA, pending approval or lifting of the sanction by Congress.”
Kajja who is also a FIFA licensed agent and a badged Sports safeguarding officer, added that such action could be triggered through either formal or informal reports.
“The suspension may come after an open or anonymous report by anyone concerned. FIFA also has an office that monitors regional developments, Africa inclusive, and they already have tabs on what is evolving in Mengo,” he said.
There are claims that the Government remains cautious about taking action against FUFA, amid fears that any escalation could jeopardize Uganda’s chances of co-hosting the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations next year.
Kajja further warned that a suspension would have far-reaching consequences for Ugandan football.
“A suspended Member Association cannot exercise any of its membership rights, and other Member Associations are not allowed sporting contact with a suspended MA. The FIFA Disciplinary Council may impose further sanctions,” he noted.
He emphasized that there is a “thin line” between intervention and interference, describing the issue as largely political in nature.
On leadership changes, Kajja said any transition at FUFA would need to be handled carefully to avoid breaching FIFA regulations.
“Government cannot remove (FUFA president Moses) Magogo and avoid a FIFA ban, but can safely negotiate a step-down if he agrees. That depends on the step-down terms. They may follow FUFA statutes, where he dictates what happens next, for example who replaces him, or they return it to the delegates,” he said.
“Or FIFA would have to appoint a normalization committee to clean up the federation.”
The developments come after a group of former Uganda Cranes internationals petitioned the Government of Uganda to step in over what they describe as persistent corruption and weak governance within FUFA.
The call was once again raised on Monday at the Grand Imperial Hotel in Kampala, where ex-players, including Mike Mutyaba, George Ssimwogerere and Hassan ‘Gibby’ Kalule, gathered to present a united front demanding reforms and accountability in the management of the game.
Mutyaba said Ugandan football had reached a critical point requiring urgent action.
“As former players and football stakeholders, we request CDF Muhoozi Kainerugaba to grant us permission to carry out a series of activities we have lined up including peaceful demonstration against the leadership in Mengo,” Mutyaba said.
He added that their concerns centred on accountability and the use of public funds.
“I stand on accountability, that Ugandans’ taxpayers’ money is being misused. Secondly is about transparency, I feel all Ugandans and concerned stakeholders should be made aware of the developments in our game. Football should not be owned by one family,” he said.
Mutyaba further argued that football in Uganda should be more inclusive, especially towards former players.
“Football is the most unifying sport in Uganda because most of our population are the youths whose biggest interest is football. The other concern is inclusiveness, many former players have been sidelined but I feel they should be given roles, starting with the upcoming AFCON we are set to co-host,” he added.
Back in 2022, in Kenya, the Ministry of Sports disbanded the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) over alleged mismanagement and appointed a caretaker committee, while Zimbabwe’s Football Association (ZIFA) was suspended after the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) intervened in its leadership structure.
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