By Wabomba Ronnie (Wabomba Sports)
Mbale Heroes FC have received a major lifeline after merging with Eastern Region League side Northern Division FC in a move aimed at reviving the historic club ahead of the 2026/27 season.
The agreement was announced during a meeting at Mbale Stadium on Sunday, October 11, 2026, with Northern Division surrendering its league position to allow Mbale Heroes to compete this season.
Dr Bumba Ahmed, Northern Division’s majority shareholder with a 75% stake, said the decision was aimed at restoring one of Eastern Uganda’s biggest football brands, which was at risk of missing league football this entire season.
George Wamono, interim chairman of Mbale Heroes, thanked Bumba for the sacrifice, revealing that the ownership transfer had reached 90% and efforts are underway to change Northern Division’s name to Mbale Heroes as quick as possible.
In a statement published on its official social media platforms, Northern Division FC confirmed the merger, describing it as the “coming together of two strong football foundations to elevate football in Mbale”.
Mbale Heroes suffered back-to-back relegations, dropping from the Uganda Premier League in 2024/25 before finishing bottom of the FUFA Big League last season amid financial and administrative challenges in the final games of the season. Bumba was among well wishers that led a fundraising drive to help Mbale Heroes finish its last 3 games of the season.
The club failed to register a single player for the 2026/27 Eastern Region League, reportedly because of a FUFA registration ban over approximately Shs11.5 million owed to former coach Asaph Mwebaze. As a result, the club was excluded from the regional league, which kicks off on Tuesday, October 13 (just after tomorrow)
In 2019/20 season, businessman Wycliffe Mwambu bought Big League side Kiboga Young FC for over 70m shillings and rebranded it Mbale Heroes in an attempt to revive the club when it was facing collapse at the bottom of 4th Division league , heading to 5th Division but he was shockingly thrown out of the club by a section of club officials and fans in a staged AGM at Mbale Stadium in what smelt and walked like a well organised Coup.
Another key funder, Badru Chemisto aka Bado, also left Mbale Heroes following bitter disagreements with sections of officials and fans that reportedly attacked him verbally, physically and even threw some tribal abuses at him and his family.
Hon. Nathan Nandala Mafabi, who had also funded the club for the previous 2 seasons, reportedly withdrew his financial support midway through last season for reasons that have not been publicly established.
Club chairman Wambi Andrew, who took over from Mwambu during the famous AGM, later resigned, paving the way for Ojok Geoffrey Odur to become interim chairman. Ojok also officially resigned last month and in his letter, he announced that George Wamono, Jessica Muduwa and Isma Wambede would take over management and oversee a transition.
Northern Division FC is privately owned, while Mbale Heroes FC is registered in FUFA’s club ownership records as a Community Based Organisation (CBO). Wamono said the club’s future ownership structure would be communicated once the merger is officially completed but they can’t allow fans to take much control and make decisions as they did.
The two-time Uganda Cup winners, who have also represented Uganda in continental football, now hope the merger will restore their lost glory.
Northern Division will face Busoga United FC away at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru on Friday, October 16 in its opening game of the season, before hosting newcomers Kyabazinga FC at Mbale Stadium on October 30. #WabombaSports
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