Kabenge to take on Ddungu for UOC's top job

By James Bakama

She has lately been in the media for a marriage gone sour, accusations of forgery and serving on two conflicting national bodies.

But despite all this, UOC secretary general  Peninah Kabenge is not about to be derailed from her dreams of rising to the helm of sports administration.

Kabenge has announced her intentions of contesting for Uganda Olympic Committee's top job.  Elections for local sport's most powerful job are due next year.

She alsoTuesday circulated a resolution that she said was from an executive meeting on Tuesday suspending UOC president Roger Ddungu from the UOC.

"I have the potential," she insisted dismissing recent newspaper reports about her marriage as a smear campaign intended to bring her down.

UOC boss Roger Ddungu, who is accusing Kebenge of forging his signature in her pursuit for an international award, has meanwhile welcomed  his secretary general's decision.

"That is okay. Competition is healthy," said Ddungu yesterday however advising Kabenge to first clear her name in an ongoing tribunal.

The tribunal, headed by retired Supreme Court judge George Kanyeihamba, was instituted to hear petitions raised against Kabenge and UOC vice president (administration) William Blick.

Kabenge  is being queried over  use of Ddungu's signature without his consent. Questions are also being raised over her presence on both UOC and a government body NCS. The legality of Blick's presence on the committee's executive is also being questioned.

The tribunal started work yesterday at the UOC offices in Lugogo and Kanyeihamba's chambers on Ecobank Plaza. Kanyeihamba has Peruth Nshemereirwe as his lead counsel and Colonel Stephen Kwiringira as secretary.

The first three days had the tribunal gathering necessary documents like minutes, petitions, constitutions and the International Olympic Committee Charter before sessions with relevant personalities.

The tribunal got off to a stormy inauguration at the UOC offices on Friday as a section of the committee's executive challenged its legality.

Led by vice president (technical) Dennis Galabuzi, the dissenting members accused Ddungu of constituting the tribunal without their consent. They argued that there were other UOC instruments of arbitration.

But quoting article 19 of the UOC constitution, Ddungu said he is empowered to come up with such measures.

There was drama as the Galabuzi group also presented another constitution challenging Ddungu's stand. "So you have two constitutions?" wondered a surprised Kanyeihamba.

It took a clarification from former UOC secretary general Gabriel Oloka to convince the judge that the document the Galabuzi's were brandishing was merely a draft.

Oloka, a UOC constitutional review committee member, informed the gathering that what stands as law is the document that Ddungu presented the judge.

He said the document in force is duly endorsed by IOC. "It is true there is an ongoing review but the proposed document can only become effective after only being passed by UOC's assembly and IOC."