Mutenda, Tamale and Watson on FUFA normalisation committee

By James Bakama
and Sabiiti Muwanga

SEASONED administrators John Mutenda and Sam Tamale together with former Cranes captain Edgar Watson have been included on the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) normalisation committee.

The additions followed tense day-long meetings that finally agreed on the trio joining Dr. James Sekajugo, Patrick Isiagi, Justus Mugisha, Kavuma Kabenge, John Matovu, John Agard, Pater Angaya and Catherine Adipo on the committee.
They will be inaugurated this morning at a function to be preceded by the hand over of the FUFA House to the committee.

A joint statement signed by education and sports state minister Charles Bakkabulindi, FIFA deputy general secretary Jerome Champagne, CAF executive Amos Adamu, NCS chairman Wilson Tumwine and Sekajugo called for teamwork from all the parties.

“All parties to the outcome of this meeting should commit themselves to work closely and unreservedly to promote harmony and greater cooperation in order to support the normalisation process,” read the statement in part.

The agreement brings to an end an impasse that had the composition of the committee appointed by the world football body FIFA questioned by government and pressure groups like SOS.

Tumwine and education and sports ministry spokesman Aggrey Kibenge had earlier stressed the need for impartiality and integrity of committee members if success was to be achieved.

There had earlier been drama when the FIFA team reported for a meeting with Namirembe Bitamazire only to be referred to state minister Bakkabulindi.

The FIFA team was shocked when Bakkabulindi insisted that he would in the first talks only meet Champagne and CAF executive member Dr. Amos Adamu.

Development officers Pascal Torres and Ashford Mamelodi, who were part of the investigative team into Uganda’s soccer crisis in March, and normalisation committee head Sekajugo had wait for two hours.

Bakkabulindi then surprised the normalisation committee: “I will only meet FIFA, CAF and NCS,” he told them. They waited in the corridors for almost two-hours.

These two sessions which were initially expected to last not more than an hour, ended up stretching into time allotted to a tour of the FUFA House and lunch. The FIFA team thereafter met stakeholders at Sheraton Hotel.