UOC elections head to the courtroom

By James Bakama, Norman Katende and Johnson Were

WILLIAM Blick’s moment to become Uganda Olympic Committee president could be delayed by court battles with former committee boss Rogers Ddungu.

Ddungu, who was unanimously voted out of office last year, wants through his lawyers, Arinaitwe Law Advocates, Saturday’s election stopped.

Ddungu not only cites wrongful dismissal, but also stresses that he is still the rightful UOC president. On February 28 he reminded UOC’s executive to put aside the elective assembly.

He argues that Blick and his team do not have the powers or mandate to call for the election. The elections are due at Kati Kati Restaurant, Lugogo.

The letter to the acting UOC president Blick together with Dennis Galabuzi, Peninah Kabenge, Godfrey Nuwagaba, Sharifah Sanyu, Ambrose Tashobya and Donald Rukare reminded them that they do not have the authority or capacity to call such a meeting to discuss issues dealing with UOC when their tenure is still subject to the courtroom.

“Under the subjudice rule of our systems of jurisprudence, you are barred from holding such meeting while the same matters are yet to be determined by an impartial and competent court,” read part of the letter that was also copied to the International Olympic Committee.

There are reports that an interim order was secured last week to stop the meeting, though it had not yet been served to the UOC by press time.

The nominations of the new committee ended over a week back with Blick being unanimously nominated as the president of the committee and Galabuzi and Tashobya as his vice presidents.

Rukare was nominated as general secretal with Dustan Nsubuga as his assistant and Nuwagaba as treasurer.

Sanyu and Sheila Agonzibwa were also appointed as committee members as per IOC requirements of at least two women to be on the committee.

“We are taking appropriate legal procedures and I don’t think there is anything to worry about,” Rukare stated.

Blick said they will go ahead with the elections since Ddungu is raising a matter that was over taken by events. 

“His intentions are just to disorganize us but we found out that he asked court to hear his application for an injunction next week, despite not serving us, but we shall continue with the process,” Blick stated.

“What we know is that we are recognized by IOC and the assembly mandated us to carry on the work and we shall continue with UOC work,” he stressed.