Ex-Cranes players storm FUFA offices, want Magogo out

A group of former national team players led by Dan Walusimbi stormed the Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) head offices at Mengo on Monday with intention of ousting the federation president Moses Magogo.

The group included George Ssemwogerere (former Express and Cranes captain), Philip Obwiny (also a former Cranes captain), Obadia Ssemakula (a former Coffee and Cranes player), Polly Ouma (a former Cranes star of the team that took part in the Nations Cup in 1978) and Isah Ssekatawa (a former Express and Cranes player fomerly known as " golden boy").

"We have decided to storm the federation offices because we are fed up of the mess around this place," Ssemwogerere told the media at Mengo.

"Magogo and company have turned this place (FUFA offices) into their personal homes and have gone an extra mile of turning some of the federation property into their private property. We cannot accept this as stakeholders of the game."

Ouma and Ssekatawa alleged that ownership of the federation's building had been transferred under a private company in the names of Nkwanga Construction Company. The former players also alleged that the technical center in Njeru was also being managed by a company called Scoreline.

But when FUFA spokesman Ahmed Hussein was reached for a comment on the allegations, he denied all the accusations and simply advised the group to go to the courts of law if they have any grievances aginst the federation.

The former players tried to access the federation offices but were hurriedly stopped by police who opened fire to scare the angry group that included fans. The group didn't relent. They forcefully entered the premises, vandalizing a door in the process.

A couple of officials inside the federation called for dialogue and agreed to have a meeting in the presence of the state sports minister Charles Bakkabulindi later in the day.

By press time, the outcomes of the meeting were not yet clear.

In 2014, former FUFA general secretary Haruna Mawanda asked Parliament to investigate the manner in which his and the late former president Denis Obua's purported signatures were forged in registering FUFA as a private company in the names of Nkwanga Construction Company.

Mawanda made the appeal on Friday while appearing before the education and sports committee of parliament.

Mawanda was taken aback when the committee showed him the letter dated January 14, 2005 in which FUFA officials resolved to change the body to Nkwanga Limited after government disbanded the federation following formation of FUFA Limited saying it was against national law.

"This is not my signature please and I don't think the late Obua could also appended his signature on a letter resolving to change FUFA to a construction company because I knew him very well as Mr. Football," Mawanda implored the committee chaired by the Mityana Woman MP Sylvia Namabidde back then.

"Please investigate this and bring those who did it to book," he added.