This is the story of the 2023/24 StarTimes Uganda Premier League season; Bul FC, Kitara FC, NEC FC, and Maroons FC. The power is shifting. For the last 23 years, the Uganda Premier League has been synonymous with SC Villa, KCCA, Vipers SC, and Express FC.

All from Kampala. These were the teams with the most fans, football tradition, financial resources, sponsors, re-known stadia, and silverware. Whenever the season is drawn, these are the first teams to look out for. They are the clubs that have also dominated the politics of Ugandan football in terms of influence. When the loose association VEK was created in the early 1990s, the idea was to create an umbrella for the big three clubs under which different cooperation initiatives would be launched, as a way of curbing the hooliganism.

The intense rivalry between these teams had gotten to the level where lives on and off the pitch were at stake. Football was sharply split between blue, yellow, and red.  The FUFA headquarters at Mengo, the referees association, and the league secretariat were not spared too. They were either blue, yellow, or red. Villa, KCC, and Express defined Ugandan football so much so that, any superstars at other clubs had to find a way of signing for either of the three clubs to gain iconic status and become a mainstay in the national team. 

Every season teams like Nytil, Nile, Coffee, Nsambya, Airlines, UMEME, Miracle Center, and Police had to lose their stars to the big three which later became the big four with Vipers; formerly Bunamwaya. The rise of Bul, Kitara, NEC, URA, and Maroons this season has shaken not just the status quo but the local football traditions as we know them. All are in the top six with Bul and Kitara particularly taking turns to lead the road race for honours. Sand witched in between are Vipers and Villa, the two clubs which at the moment are helping to maintain a semblance of familiarity with the old order. Bul, NEC, URA, and Maroons are all institutional clubs with small fan bases but which however enjoy the full backing of their sponsors Bidco, NEC, and Prisons. They are the modern-day Nytil, UCB, Coffee, and Umeme.

With the resources at their disposal, they have assembled quality teams and recruited coaches that are enabling them to compete on level terms with Vipers, KCCA, Express, and Villa. With guarantees of regular payment of salaries, bonuses, and allowances, the stability at Bul, NEC, URA, and Maroons has helped the players focus only on their performances on the pitch. Besides, the politics that often causes internal disorder within privately owned or community clubs, does not exist here. The hierarchy is well-known and well-respected. Institutional teams also have the benefit of concern for the health of their brand reputations. What could shock casual observers is that three of the five clubs, namely; NEC, URA, and Maroons are government institutions. They are tearing apart the script that often demonizes the government for not investing in football or not being passionate about sports. 

The case of Kitara is unique. They have established the perfect template of how to run a community club to the extent that the entire Bunyoro-Kitara region has owned up to it. The resilience that Bul, Kitara, NEC, and Maroons have shown after 11 rounds with no signs of letting up is good news for Uganda’s premier league. Every fixture involving these teams especially when they are taking on the traditional establishment has become a must-watch. The result has been that stadium attendance have improved dramatically, talk ability has gone two notches higher, television viewership has risen and the league is fiercely competitive. No longer are Vipers, KCCA, Villa, and Express expected to win every game. Every win that either of these teams gets these days is a hard-fought one and even the fans no longer know what to expect. On form, Bul seems best prepared to lead the challenge to topple Vipers but Kitara, NEC, Maroons, and URA are not going away anytime soon.