When Uganda dreamed of Leeds: The Michael Ezra football saga

First published in 2004 | Revisited in 2025

Eighteen years ago, Ugandan businessman Michael Ezra Mulyoowa made headlines when he was linked with a bold bid to purchase Leeds United, then a struggling English Premier League club fighting both financial crisis and relegation.

It was a story that sparked disbelief, intrigue, and a flurry of phone calls between Uganda and Yorkshire.

Sunday Vision had the scoop: the flamboyant tycoon—known more in local circles for his high-flying lifestyle and generous sponsorships in Ugandan sport—was suddenly at the heart of a potential Premier League club takeover.

When The New Vision reached out to Leeds United for comment at the time, the club's Financial Director Neil Robson confirmed the surprising news.

“I know Michael Ezra and we are in correspondence with him over his interest in buying Leeds United,” Robson said. “There are a few things we want him to tell us but unfortunately he has not gotten back to us.”

Though Robson did not confirm the widely rumored £60 million price tag (roughly UGX 208 billion then), he acknowledged that Ezra was being considered alongside other potential buyers.

“We are investigating his interest in the club. We are still trying to find out a few things about Ezra.”

In an ironic twist, Robson turned the tables on the journalists and asked:

“But is there any information you can give me about Ezra? Because we are trying to find out a few things.”

Leeds, which needed over £100 million to stay afloat, had received other bids as well. These included offers from Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Mubarak al-Khalifa and a Yorkshire consortium reportedly offering £20 million. The club extended its sale deadline from January 31 to February 6 to keep the lights on till season’s end.

Michael Ezra, meanwhile, had become a known name in Ugandan sports. He had funded the junior athletics team to the World Cross Country Championships in Lausanne, formed a track team, and began sponsoring both boxing and USPA (Uganda Sports Press Association).

Though the Leeds dream never materialised, the Ezra saga remains one of the most talked-about moments in Ugandan sports history—when a local mogul dared to dream of owning a piece of English football royalty.