Uganda’s sports bodies face tight deadline under new registration rules

National sports associations and federations may struggle to meet the three-month deadline for compliance with the National Sports Act 2023.

The law, enacted in September 2023, only became operational on March 14, 2025, after the sports minister signed the necessary Statutory Instruments. It requires all sports bodies to re-register by June 20, 2025.

Last Friday, the National Council of Sports (NCS) directed all organisations to first deregister as Trusts before applying under the new law. In an April 11 letter, NCS General Secretary Bernard Patrick Ogwel stressed: “All federations and associations must meet every legal requirement for registration under the new Act and its Regulations—without exception.”

However, few sports bodies currently meet the stringent standards, leaving many scrambling to comply.

Strict Requirements Spark Concerns

Robert Jjagwe, outgoing president of the Uganda Table Tennis Association, called the requirement “nearly impossible.” “The law expects federations to establish clubs nationwide, which hasn’t been the norm. This is costly—the government should have allocated funds. Otherwise, compliance will be extremely difficult.”

Under the Public Finance Management Act 2015, every bill must include a Certificate of Financial Implications, outlining costs and economic impact for at least two years post-enactment. Jjagwe urged a review of this certificate to determine whether the government committed resources for the expansion.

An anonymous federation president described the requirements and deadline as “unrealistic.” “The fees are too high for sports without sponsors. We’ve tried expanding beyond Kampala, but operating in multiple districts is expensive.”

Moses Dungu of the Uganda Skating Federation echoed the concerns. “A standard skate park costs $100,000, yet we struggle to raise Shs20m for basic setups like Mukono’s. How can we replicate this in 73 districts in three months? We need at least two years.”

Extension Request Denied

Two weeks ago, sports bodies met with Ogwel to request more time, but his latest letter dashed those hopes.

“We were surprised. Now, we can only wait,” the anonymous president said. “Realistically, only 10 out of 50 bodies might register on time.”

Raynold Kibira, Deputy Vice President of the Federation of Motorsport Clubs of Uganda (FMU), is less worried about the district requirement due to their school-based activities. However, the law also demands: An executive elected by an AGM with delegates from 50% of districts.

“We’re trying to comply, but Section 7 only took effect on March 14. The June 20 deadline is too tight,” Kibira said. “We await the minister’s response to our extension request.”

An NCS insider, however, claimed Ogwel ruled out extensions, stating, “We must prepare to oversee the 50 bodies as soon as possible.”

Legal Challenge Looms

Jjagwe suggested a formal appeal: “We should have petitioned NCS and the ministry about the Act’s impractical clauses. Pleading for mercy isn’t enough—if a legal challenge arises, licenses could be revoked.”

Some federation heads initially dismissed his stance but are now reconsidering. “Now they’re calling me, saying, ‘You were right,’” he noted.

Key Registration Requirements

✔ Associations: Operate in 50% of districts
✔ Federations: Operate in 75% of districts
✔ Both: Align constitutions with the Act; elect executives via AGM with 50% district representation