The Select Committee of Parliament inspected the Ugandan Netball Federation office on 13 December 2022. The inspection was a part of the investigation by the National Council of Sports.
The investigation into the Sports body’s corruption of funds intended for sports is still going on in Kampala.
Netball Federation wrote that the Select Committee of Parliament paid the visit and got what they want. They also added that the committee had expressed their gratitude to the federation for helping them and advancing sports in Uganda.
The Parliamentary Select Committee s looking into the National Council of Sports’ operation as a result of contradictions in claims made on the release of funds to the subsector.
Earlier this month the president of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations reported that, due to a dispute over government funding, Uganda will not participate in the African Nations Championships (CHAN). These disputes led the committee to look more into the National Council of sports and its funding.
The Parliamentary committee, which is chaired by Hon. Laura Kanushu (NRM, PWD), also includes Hons. Solomon Silwanyi (NRM, Bukooli County Central), Geoffrey Kayemba (NUP, Bukomansimbi South County), Iddi Isabirye (NRM, Bunya County South), Donald Katalihwa (NRM, Mwenge County South), and Agnes Achibu (NRM, Nebbi district).
Following a motion made by Hon. Asuman Basaalirwa on November 10, 2022, during the plenary session, the committee was appointed by the speaker, Anita Among. For the Financial Year 2022/2023, 51 federations nationwide will receive funding from the National Council of Sports totaling Sh47.81 billion.
Evelyne Anite, the minister of state for Finance, planning, and Economic Development, and Peter Ogwang, the minister of State for Sports, made conflicting statements on November 9, 2022, regarding the release of funds to the sports federation for the first and second quarters.
Ogwang said that Shs27 billion had been released for the first and second quarters, compared to Anite’s Shs 19.2 billion for the first quarter.
However, the president of the Federation of Uganda Football Association, Hon. Moses Magogo (NRM, Budiope County East), claims that sports federations had not received any funding for the previous two quarters.
The speaker used this as an excuse to schedule a harmonization meeting with the two ministers, the shadow ministries of education, sports, finance, and Magogo for November 2022.
According to the speaker, Anita Among, The National Council of Sports will not get additional funding from Parliament, unless the operations and financial management of the subsectors are rectified.
She added that they want to know where the money they provided went and if that truth came out, then they can give them more funds.
There is suspicion about the corruption of the government and a clear investigation is necessary for unfolding the truths behind the fund shortage.
As a result of the fund shortage and alleged corruption, Uganda leaves the CHAN finals. They had to step back from the Continental football competitions as mentioned earlier.
According to FUFA President Eng. Moses Magogo, Uganda Cranes have withdrawn from the upcoming Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) Finaals due to financial issues. He claimed that they hadn’t enough funds to make the team play in the finals.
Magogo apologized to the teams’ eligible players and employees in his tweet that confirmed the heartbreaking news. It was just a few months ago that the U23 squad from Uganda withdrew owing to a similar set of circumstances from the final qualification stages.
Magogo wrote in his tweet that they had no other option other than withdrawing the Uganda Cranes from CHAN finals because the Ministry of Finance hasn’t provided them with enough funds as regulated by the Parliament.
He added that if they don’t take a firm decision now, the condition of the sanctions from the parliament will be worst in the future.
Uganda Cranes defeated Tanzania 4-0 on aggregate to enter the 2022 CHAN finals in Algeria. They were supposed to start getting ready for the event on December 21.
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The 2023 CHAN competition is scheduled to begin on January 13 in Algeria. DR Congo, Ivory Coast, and Senegal are also in Group B with the Uganda Cranes.
If Uganda withdraws from the CHAN, it will leave the organizer, the Confederation of African Football (Caf), scrambling to find substitutes or reduce the already odd format to 17 teams.
CHAN is the competition or members of the national teams who play in the respective domestic leagues.
Madagascar will make a historic debut at the finals, whereas the title-holders Morocco will be aiming for a third straight victory over the CHAN trophy.
Uganda has withdrawn from sports competitions in past due to the lack of funds. In October of this year, the U-23 men’s football team had to withdraw from the African Cup of Nations qualifier due to the shortage of funds.
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