Here’s what you should be aware of:
The legislation mandates that every sports organization must reregister, with the minister establishing June 20, 2025 as the deadline for this requirement.
The national sports organizations and governing bodies might require more than ninety days to prepare for enrollment under the National Sports Act of 2023.
The new legislation was enacted in September 2023; however, its enforcement did not commence until after the sports minister approved the Statutory Instruments on March 14, 2025.
The legislation mandates that every athletic organization must reregister, with the minister establishing June 20, 2025 as the deadline for this requirement.
On last Friday, the National Council of Sports (NCS) advised all national organizations to un-register from their current trust status prior to registering under the newly enacted legislation.
"Kindly be advised that every federation and association needs to strictly comply with all legal prerequisites for registration as per the updated Act and the accompanying Regulations without any exceptions," stated Bernard Patrick Ogwel, the general secretary of NCS, in his letter dated April 11. This has come down heavily on various federations and associations since very few are prepared to adhere to these stringent criteria.
A key criterion for this requirement is that an organization must "demonstrate a nationwide presence, involving Ugandans across at least half of the country’s total districts," equating to 73 out of the 146 districts. In contrast, for federations, they must engage with participants from at least 75% of these areas, translating to involvement in 109 districts throughout Uganda.
"That's nearly unachievable for the majority of our sporting organizations," stated Robert Jjagwe, who is stepping down as the president of the Uganda Table Tennis Association.
The legislation mandates that federations and associations establish clubs in every district, but this has not happened. Additionally, it comes at a significant cost. The government ought to have allocated funding for this purpose. Without such support, many federations will find it challenging to fulfill this obligation.
The Public Finance Management Act of 2015 mandates that "Each bill presented to Parliament must be accompanied by a financial implications certificate provided by the Minister."
The document provides an estimation of income and expenses for at least two years following the enactment of the legislation, along with its economic implications once approved.
We have to examine the certificate to determine if the government allocated any resources for that significant expansion required by the law.
A leader from the federations, requesting confidentiality to maintain good ties with both the National Council of Sports (NCS) and the Ministry of Sport, mentioned that the stipulated registration criteria and deadlines are highly impractical. "Financially speaking, these fees are exorbitant for disciplines that struggle to secure sponsorships," they commented. "Furthermore, despite our efforts to establish teams beyond Kampala, operational costs become prohibitive when attempting this across numerous regions."
Moses Dungu, who leads the Uganda Skating Federation, echoes these worries.
A typical skatepark has a price tag of $100,000. However, we lack even the equivalent of Shs20 million needed to set up simpler models similar to the one in Mukono across 73 districts.
And sports such as ours, which include numerous children, find it difficult to secure sponsorships. Therefore, how do you anticipate us meeting all these requirements within just three months? It would take approximately two years. Nonetheless, we will do our best and be patient.
The week before last, representatives from various sporting organizations met with the NCS general secretary and asked for an extension of the registration deadline through the sports minister.
But Mr. Ogwel's letter caught us off guard," the unnamed president expressed with frustration. "In any case, we will have to wait and hope." He added, "Otherwise, perhaps only 10 out of the 50 organizations might be able to register.
Despite activities taking place in numerous traditional schools nationwide, Uganda Tennis Association (UTA) Chairman Mathias Nalyanja isn’t particularly concerned about the 50 percent attendance rate.
However, the legislation mandates that national sporting organizations must adjust their charters to comply with the Act and elect their executives through an annual general meeting attended by representatives from a minimum of 50 percent of Uganda’s districts.
We are attempting to comply since the law took effect in September 2023," explained Nalyanya, who is also a legal professional. "However, Section 7 of the Act, which outlines the registration processes, wasn’t activated until March 14. Given that we have till June 20, the timeframe is rather tight, and many of us will find it challenging to fulfill all the criteria.
“As we strive to adhere, we await the minister's reply to our plea for additional time.”
However, a person familiar with NCS statements indicated that Ogwel maintained there would be no extensions. "It’s crucial that we begin preparing for the 50 federations or associations at the earliest," Ogwel allegedly stated.
In the meantime, Jjagwe comes up with a notion. "It would have been wise to send a letter to NCS and the ministry pointing out the discrepancies within the Act."
I do not agree with limiting ourselves to a merciful appeal based on someone's wishes. If this approach isn't supported by legal grounds or practical feasibility, it could lead to negative consequences if taken to court for potential revocation of your license.
However, most of the federation and association leaders did not embrace the concept during their meeting with Ogwel. "Now they are contacting me, saying 'you were correct,'" Jjagwe stated.
KEY REQUIREMENTS
Association participation in half of the districts
Federation: involvement in 75 percent of districts
Both: adjust the constitution to align with the Act
-elected by the AGM with representatives from at least half of the districts
Deadline: June 20, 2025
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