Okhuti good but KCCA need an academy

 In signing Caesar Okhuti from Express, Azam Premier League leaders  KCCA underlined their commitment to the short-term objective of reclaiming the national title.

Mike Mutebi, seen as a dreamer by his critics, proved he is in touch with the pulse of the yellow brigade and understands what they want from him this year is the championship.

Mutebi conceded the striker was a now-signing, saying Okhuti is one of the "hottest properties in Ugandan football right now and he will solve our goalscoring problem".

Yet there is something a bit unnerving about this transfer, a twist of irony in a team with ambitions of transforming local football reaching back for a one-time prodigy chasing what appears to be a fading career. It is inspiring to see Okhuti bounce back from obscurity and KCCA supporters will be hoping his current run of form has staying power.

And should Okhuti find the goals that keep KCCA in front until the end of the season then history will judge the transfer kindly.

However, Okhuti is arguably not the kind of signing KCCA need to make the sort of history the club's top bosses aspire to.

Winning the local league is great but the message that came out of the last year's management reshuffle was that the club was ready to chase bigger things.

Club boss Abbey Kabugo told New Vision the aim was to turn KCCA into a continental force not just Ugandan champions.

Somehow the signing of Okhuti doesn't seem to reconcile with that. And it's not that KCCA need to buy players from abroad because in fact, the best approach may be to develop their own players.

The problem, of course, with developing young players is that you need an academy and patience, two things KCCA don't have at the moment. But if KCCA want to rewrite the story of Ugandan football, they must build an academy sooner than later.

Someone needs to be intentional about developing young, talented Ugandan players and KCCA might as well take up the challenge.

Okhuti could and hopefully should turn out a good signing but it will probably take something special for KCCA to become great.