Musagala exposes financial exploitation in athlete management

Uganda’s middle-distance runner Ronald Musagala has represented the country on several occasions at both continental and global competitions.

Like many elite athletes, he once believed that joining a management agency would ease his training burden and open doors to better financial opportunities through international races.

Instead, what he viewed as a breakthrough turned into a painful lesson in financial exploitation.

Despite competing regularly on the international circuit, Musagala says he has little to show for his career.

“People think I am rich because they see me running abroad, but in reality I am broke,” he said.

Musagala recalls signing a contract he barely understood, trusting that it would benefit him.

“I once found myself in a dilemma signing a weak contract that only benefited the manager. I was not given a chance to seek guidance. I signed up to run for shs54,043,110 (USD15,000) but was only paid sh18,014,370(USD 5,000). When I asked for my full payment, I never received it. That affected me psychologically and demotivated me from running,” he explained.

He now hopes Uganda Athletics (UA) and the government will work together to fight financial exploitation so that young athletes benefit from their talent rather than retiring with regret.

Musagala’s case reflects a wider problem affecting many Ugandan athletes who have fallen into management traps, ending their careers with empty pockets and bitter memories. Those still active continue with little more than hope.

At the heart of the problem is illiteracy. Many athletes drop out of school early and lack basic reading and interpretation skills. Even those who have studied rarely consult lawyers or qualified agents before signing contracts, leaving them vulnerable to manipulation.

Athletics coach Fred Cherich says he has witnessed athletes unknowingly sign contracts with no financial benefit.

“They go to races thinking there is money, only to be told later that they signed for a no-money race,” he said.

Cherich warned athletes against assuming management work for free.

“When management takes you for a race and you win, they deduct all expenses like air tickets, accommodation and feeding from your prize money, and then take their 15 percent. In actual sense, athletes pay for their own expenses,” he noted.

He urged athletes to seek guidance before signing contracts and called on Uganda Athletics to provide educated personnel to help interpret agreements.

UA vice president in charge of technical matters, Benjamin Njia, also identified illiteracy as the main cause of financial exploitation.

“Athletes are given long contracts to sign and they cannot read or interpret the clauses. They are simply told where to sign, only to realize later that the contract does not favor them,” Njia said.

He added that the federation’s safeguarding policy will play a key role in regulating management agencies and helping athletes understand their rights.

As Uganda continues to produce world-class talent, experts agree that protecting athletes from financial exploitation is just as important as developing their physical ability ensuring their success on the track is matched by security off it.