SC Villa unveils souvenir magazine ahead of their elections

The SC Villa executive and management board have launched a souvenir magazine that highlights the club’s history, achievements, and future prospects ahead of  this month’s elective assembly.

Villa spokesperson Asan Kasingye unveiled the magazine at a press conference held at Mandela Auto Zone in the Industrial Area on Saturday. The event was attended by club CEO William Nkemba, assistant CEO Sulaiman Mutajazi, executive member Salim Ssemmanda, founder Guy Kawuma, Dennis Mbidde, and Herbert Bashasha, representing sponsors Linglong.

Kasingye stated that the magazine is part of the club’s golden jubilee celebrations, marking milestones in heritage, legacy, and community impact.

Villa Spokesperson Asan Kasingye (3rd left), CEO William Nkemba (4th left) assistant CEO Sulaiman Mutajazi (left), executive member Salim Ssemmanda (2nd left), founder Guy Kawuma (4th right), Dennis Mbidde, and Herbert Bashasha and Fred Kaweesi (right) display copies of the magazine at a press conference held at Mandela Auto Zone in Industrial Area. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

“There's no doubt Sports Club Villa has had a lot of impact on the lives of so many people in this country, especially sports lovers. But we also want to celebrate the power of trust,” Kasingye said.

“We are highlighting the successful shift from individual ownership to a fan-owned trust model, ensuring long-term sustainability. Villa is now a community-owned club. We also want to celebrate a new era, and we want this magazine framed as a chronicle of especially the last five years of modernisation and professionalism.”

The magazine showcases the club’s on-field achievements, including 17 league titles and continental successes, as well as the club’s resurgence over the past four years.

It features interviews with key leaders and covers executive, marketing, and technical reports. Kasingye announced that the magazine will now be produced annually, serving as a platform for both fans and the executive to share their perspectives.

Bashasha congratulated Villa on their golden jubilee, noting that it coincides with Linglong’s own anniversary, as both organisations were established in 1975.

“We hope this has set a pace for SC Villa to get to another level. It's a beautiful souvenir. I also want to congratulate Villa and the entire team and the author Fred Kaweesi for this beautiful, beautiful souvenir,” Bashasha said.

“As Linglong Tires, we commit our support and keep promising that we shall support Villa in all its achievements and all its plans in the future. " Kaweesi said he was privileged and honoured to be at the forefront of the project. “I'm very excited to see the final product. I worked with a very professional team that put this together. And I'm sure we're all proud, and I'm sure the Villa fans will be proud.

SC Villa assistant CEO Sulaiman Mutajazi (left), executive member Salim Ssemmanda (2nd left), Villa Spokesperson Asan Kasingye (3rd left), and CEO William Nkemba read through copies of the magazine at a press conference held at Mandela Auto Zone in Industrial Area. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

“This souvenir magazine takes you on a journey. It walks you through the club's journey over the last 50 years. Sometimes we take these projects for granted. It's 50 years since the club was founded, and this is the first time the club has published such a publication.

“It is critical even for the younger generation of Villa fans that are being recruited to give them a chance to get to know the people behind this great club. And 50 years from now, generations to come will look back to this publication, and they will be able to relive the great moments of this great club, Uganda's most successful football club,” he stated.

Nkemba said it was an honour and a privilege to be part of this event, and to live in a time like this. “Fifty years of achievement, 50 years of existence of Sports Club Villa, the club I played for, and being able to see the launch of its first souvenir magazine are quite an achievement.

Looking at the magazine's contents, I reminisce about the many years and the people I was associated with in the past, but more importantly, it's also, as we mentioned, a celebration and a highlight of the achievements of the last five years.

“I encourage the fans to get themselves a copy of the history of the club. This is something that they will cherish and keep for a very long time. So, we brace ourselves for the next 50 years as we celebrate the last 50 years and more especially the last five years of revamping, re-strategising, and setting the foundation for the future,” Nkemba stated. Fully paid-up members of SC Villa will receive a free copy of the 68-page magazine, while a soft copy will also be available to interested parties.