Hosting a regional sports event of the magnitude of the Federation of East Africa Schools Sports Association (FEASSA) games is not only a prestigious calling to the hosting school but also to the community around and the nation at large.

When Uganda was named the 2024 FEASSA Games host in Huye, Rwanda in August, the Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) swiftly came out with a call to interested schools to host the prestigious games, with Eastern Uganda given the priority.

Bukedea Comprehensive School MD Jonas Gumisiriza shows the workplan of a Standard Stadium being constructed at the School

And USSSA received 7 strong bids from Namilyango College, Nabumali High School, and Teso College Aloet who made individual bids alongside joint bidders Jinja SS/Jinja College and Bukedea Comprehensive School/Amus College in addition to Nyakasura School and St Mary’s College Rushoroza, the only two schools from Western Uganda.

It is from this strong contest that Bukedea Comprehensive/Amus College, both Teso-based Schools, won the hosting rights, after making a strong bidding presentation before the USSSA executive on Friday afternoon.

Bukedea Comprehensive school MD Jonas Gumisiriza (blue jacket) shows the USSSA team the school facilities

The presentation made by Bukedea Comprehensive managing director Prof. Jonas Gumisiriza pointed out strong preparation for better and standard hosting in terms of sports facilities and the general arrangement similar to international standards.

It is from here that the USSSA executive, voted in favour of Bukedea Comprehensive, having been guided by the prior notes presented by the USSSA inspection teams that visited all the bidding schools last week.  

The bid winners overcame the closest challengers Teso College Aloet, Jinja SS/Jinja College, Namilyango College, Nyakasula School Nabumali High School, and St Mary’s College Rushoroza that did not turn up.

“We are very happy to have been named the hosts of the FEASSA games after a tough competition from other Uganda Schools. We promise to have done great work on the ground by February next year when the FEASSA inspection is done. We have already started work on all needed facilities and all is going on in great gear. We shall give the best of the hosting in Uganda’s history,” Bukedea Comprehensive managing director Jonas Gumisiriza said.

The USSSA executive went ahead to name the USSSA 2024 national games, with Ndejje SS winning the USSSA Ball Games I hosting rights and Masaka SS taking the USSSA boys’ football hosting ticket while Teso College Aloet was compensated with the USSSA Ball Games II hosting with Jinja SS given the USSSA Elite schools games, the curtain raiser of USSSA competitions of the year.