This piece consists of the most influential people in Ugandan football currently.
These 50 individuals have been ranked according to their importance and ability to influence change in the game of football in the country.
It has been a difficult task I must say, as you all know how hard it is to compare administrators, players, coaches, agents, journalists, club owners among others together.
There are people with power and sit in the top offices, but have failed to call shots as expected.
The list has excluded government officials and fans, but has included a sponsor and a journalist as they are football stakeholders as well.
50.Dixon Bond Okello
Bond is a security expert who sees over most FUFA organised events.
A no nonsense man who is loved and loathed by fans and journalists in equal measures.
Okello has been at various sporting events as security officer including the FIFA World Cup, Olympic Games in London, AFCON and other local games.
49.Faisal Muhammed
He is a long serving President of Football. A top administrator who serves as the president of JMC Hippos.
He is regarded as the ‘god father’ of Football in the Eastern region.
48.Denis Mbidde
A former player at Villa, Express and Kajjansi United who also served football as an administrator.
He is the brain behind some sponsorship deals at FUFA. He has gone out of the spotlight but he continues to work behind the scenes.
47.Ronnie Mutebi
Mutebi is the chairman of Bright Stars and one of the most knowledgeable people in the game.
The Stars, founded in 1997, were promoted to the Uganda Super League after winning the FUFA Big League in 2012-13.
46.Kennedy Mutenyo
Since the past, he has been at the top of Copa coca-cola tournament. He has served the game diligently and is a former FUFA delegate.
The copa coca cola competition has been credited for unearthing stars like Allan Okello, David Obua, Mike Mutyaba, Farouk Miya among others.
45.Haruna Kyobe
Former Vipers CEO Kyobe is one of the most respected voices in the game.
His opinions, even on Facebook, have carried enormous weights and continue to be used by most media houses.
44.Matia Lule
His influence continues to deteriorate since leaving the post as assistant coach of Uganda Cranes.
He was at Proline FC last season for a short spell and has previously coached at Entebbe FC, KCCA FC, Express FC and Stand United of Tanzania.
43.Denis Lukambi
He is the FUFA legal officer and has been at the helm for the Federation that is yet to lose all cases in court in recent past.
He took his office outside the court to media houses last year as he defended his boss Magogo when the Resale of World Cup tickets saga was reawakened.
42.Wasswa Bbosa
Bbosa is currently the head coach of Express FC, a club he played for as well.
He has coached SC Villa, Soana (Tooro United), Hoima FC and VictorS FC.
He understands Ugandan football and he has over and over again proved that he can work under limited resources.
41.Paul Mukatabala
A former Uganda Cranes player and one of the most gifted players to play for SC Villa.
He is currently a national team officer who was appointed in 2018 and also represents players at FUFA.
He has a strong opinion on all local football matters. Former assistant coach at Villa.
40.Clive Kyazze
Built his name while at KCCA FC as a the head of Marketing and public relations.
He is a top modern sports journalist who has hustled his way to the top.
Worked almost for every media house in the country, from Daily Monitor to the defunct Wavah FM. Kyazze is now the founder of sports website Football256, head of PR at online betting company Betway and works for Next Media (NBS).
39.Ali Tomusange
He is a retired FIFA referee who officiated at the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan.
He is currently a referee’s Assessor and Instructor. His word regarding matters of officiating has been final.
38.Geoffrey Kayemba
Kayemba, mostly known as Solo in the football circles is a football agent.
He started the business in 2008 before getting his licence from FUFA in 2016.
Kayemba has overseen transfers like that of Baba Kizito to Vietnam, Muhammad Shaban to Morocco’s Raja Casablanca, Joseph Ochaya to TP Mazembe and a couple of recent Cranes players that have recently joined Egyptian clubs after 2019 AFCON.
37.Humphrey Mandu
He was appointed FUFA deputy CEO (Services) in 2016.
He seats on the UPL board and makes sure that directions from FUFA are executed accordingly by the league governing body.
He is a former player with Posta and also previously worked as chairman of the games Union at Makerere University in 1998.
36.Jean Sseninde
Daughter of renown politician Rosemary Sseninde. She is a former Uganda Crested Cranes player.
She has played for London Phoenix Ladies, Charlton and QPR in United Kingdom. She organises a Sseninde Women Football tournament annually through her foundation.
A member of Common Goal, she has been assigned to many undertakings by FUFA, CAF and FUFA.
35.Juliet Nalukenge
A lethal striker who keeps scoring for fun. Playing for Kawempe Muslims, Uganda Women senior team and the U17 side as well.
Her recent exploits with the national U17 Women team has made her become a country’s darling.
She is on everyone’s lips and keeps inspiring young girls to join the sport. The sky is the limit.
34.Decolas Kiiza
He is the Deputy Chief Executive officer at Federation of Uganda Football Association.
He normally goes where Edgar Watson fears to tread. He is an accountant by profession.
Decolas was the finance director at FUFA from 2013 to 2019 before he was appointed the deputy CEO.
33.Anisha Muhoozi
KCCA FC CEO who replaced Josephine Namukisa in 2018.
She was at the club as an Administrator in Charge of Operations.
KCCA is one of the model clubs and she has been part of the decisions made in recent past.
32.Hamza Junju
He left his role as Express FC CEO last month.
His work at the Wankulukuku club has been enormous despite the struggles both on and off the pitch they have gone through.
One of the respected CEOs in the country.
He served Beach Soccer and is currently the Chairman of the Futsal Association of Uganda.
31.Emmanuel Okwi
Okwi is a left winger for Egyptian club Al Ittihad (Egypt) and the Uganda Cranes.
He also featured for SC Villa before moving to other clubs like Simba and Yanga SC.
One of the most influential figures on the national team and has the greatest following among Ugandan players on social media.
30.Ayub Khalifa
He is the coach of Kawempe Muslim and U17 Women national team. An assistant on the senior women team, the Crested Cranes.
At Kawempe, he has won four league titles among other school tournaments.
He is arguably the most decorated in women football after also helping the Women U17 to win the Cecafa and Cosafa U17 tourneys last year.
29.Suleiman Ssejengo
He is the chairman of Masaza Cup, an annual tournament competed for by the 18 counties that make up the Buganda region.
He has been part of the competition’s success, a tournament that has attracted many sponsors and continue to draw more numbers.
28.Tushar Ruparelia
Tushar is a FIFA Licenced players agent by FUFA under the prozone agency.
He has been in the business since time memorial. He has helped almost every Ugandan player in all life spheres.
He recently signed Juliet Nalukenge to his Prozone agency that already has Bright Anukani, David Owori, Pius Kaggwa, Ben Ocen among others.
27.Aggrey Ashaba
Former KCCA FC chairman who was appointed in 2017 to fill the big boots of Julius Kabugo.
He executed his role for two years and still remains a figure that commands respect at the club and in Ugandan football as well.
26.Kiryowa Kiwanuka
KK, as commonly known, is the chairman of Express FC since he took over in August 2018 from businessman Hassan Bulwadda.
He is a grandson of the Express FC founder Jolly Joe Kiwanuka. He is also a son of former chairman Jimmy Mugambe Kiwanuka.
He is one of the most feared and respected club chairman in the country, and always questions decisions from UPL and FUFA. A well accomplished lawyer as well.
25.Bashir Mutyaba
Mutyaba is the youth development officer at FUFA.
He holds a CAF C coaching certificate.
He has great influence especially at the grassroot as he oversees the FUFA Junior league where stars like Allan Okello, Hamis Tibita among others have passed.
24.Farouk Miya
Famously scored the lone goal that took Uganda Cranes to the 2017 AFCON finals.
He is the professional player who features at a higher ranked league in Europe – plays for Konyaspor in the Turkish League.
Formerly at Vipers before moving to Standard Liege at a tender age. Greatly loved by fans, and he has delivered at most stages.
23.Sam Ssimbwa
Former Uganda Cranes player who also featured for KCCA, Mbale Heroes and KK Comos.
Ssimbwa comes from a footballing family, a family that supports Express FC to be specific. He has kept the football candle burning with coaching stints at Express (where he won the league title in 2012), KCCA, Masaka LC, Attraco, Sofapaka.
He speaks with all the moral authority having experienced the game from all sides.
22.Abdallah Mubiru
Former player who featured for KCCA and SC Villa. He is one of the respected coaches in the league because of the brand of football he preaches.
A former sports journalist, now an assistant to Jonathan Mckinstry on the national team.
His legacy as a coach is just a league title shy.
21.Joseph Owino
An IT expert who is the founder of Kawowo Sports, an online sports portal that has broken almost the biggest football stories in the country. With respected football journalists like Ismael Kiyonga, David Isabirye and Joel Muyita. They are a force in the industry.
Owino prefers to the work in the background. He is the CEO of Owino solutions that has clients like FUFA, Airtel, Vipers websites among others.
In 2014, he was arrested for ‘allegedly’ hacking into President Museveni’s Twitter account, accused by Sarah Kagingo. His influence goes beyond.
20.Musa ‘Atagenda’ Ssebulime
From a humble background that can be traced during his early stints with betting company SBA. He continues to remain humble as his pockets grows deeper and deeper.
He has invested a lot in football, Wakiso Giants to be specific. A team formed in 2017 and has seen it evolve as one of the most admired clubs in the country.
A personal friend to most players, coaches and some sports journalists as well.
19.Remmie Kisakye
She is the Airtel Uganda Head of Brand and Communication.
Her influence can be weighed with contribution to the growth of the game.
Airtel has been essential as they are the official sponsors of the Uganda Cranes, they sponsor Masaza Cup, Airtel rising stars among others.
18.Benjamin Nyakuni
He is the Onduparaka FC Chairman, a club that has since been a force since formation. Nyakuni, together with Joe Erema had graduated from MUBS and later formed Onduparaka.
The side got promoted from the Big League to the Azam Uganda Premier League (AUPL) at the end of the 2015/2016 season and has been a mainstay since then.
They have produced more talent and continue to have the most fans at games. They have made Arua a fortress and attracted corporate sponsors as well.
17.Ronnie Kalema
He is the Chairman of the Uganda Football Referees Association, the head of the FIFA Referees Standing Committee and a FUFA Executive Committee member.
He is always answerable for anything to do with referees especially in FUFA competitions.
He has defended their faults on a daily basis and in 2018, he wrote to all UPL coaches and asked them to stop attacking them.
16.Hope Diana Nyago
The iron lady. The brain behind Busoga United, a UPL team that finished fourth last year in the league.
The headmistress of Jinja SS, she bought a team from mechanics of Kirinya road in Jinja and renamed the new team Kirinya Jinja SS, a side that has changed name to Busoga United as extend influence outside the school gates.
She served as a FUFA third vice president, later replaced by Hon Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi. A lover of the sport and supported her school team through thick and thin.
15.Allan Ssewanyana
The Musajja wa Bwiino prefers to call himself ‘The Next FUFA President.’ Another big critic of Magogo and FUFA in general.
A politician who represents Makindye West in the Parliament. He also serves on the Committee on Education & Sports and the Committee on Equal Opportunities and also serves as the Minister for Sports in the Shadow Cabinet.
He has been very vocal since his days at Top Radio/TV. He has continued to air his grievances against Magogo despite being the president of Katwe United. He last awakened the case of Magogo and FIFA tickets, and has since day one spoken with authority about football matters. A long CV that also saw him serve as KCCA FC vice chairman.
14.Ali Mwebe
He is a Football Development Director at FUFA, a position that replaced Technical director recently held by Asuman Lubowa.
He is one of the most knowledgeable persons and has designed many plans for the Federation to develop the game.
13.Hajjati Aisha Nalule
She is the FUFA Competitions Director. Always in touch with Club CEOs to fulfil the required requirements.
A very strict lady who wants everything to be followed to the dot.
12.Rogers Byamukama
One of the top brains behind the now famous ‘FUFA Drum’, a football competition that celebrates ancestry and has been a success so far.
Was recently replaced as a FUFA licensing committee chairman by Rogers Mulindwa. He is one of the few officials at Mengo who can stand in Magogo’s way and close friends have secretly said that he fancies the top seat.
He has also worked hard to bring on board some of the many sponsors at FUFA.
11.Ahmed Hussein
A former FUFA critic during his days as a journalist, before he was brought on the table.
Ahmed Hussein was appointed as the head of communications at FUFA, filling the big boots of long serving Rogers Mulindwa in 2014.
He has defended FUFA and players alike. A friend to journalists and will not hesitate to give you a call for just an attack against FUFA made on Facebook!
10.Jonathan Mckinstry
Mckinstry signed a three year contact last year to replace Sebastien Desabre. Being a national team coach speaks a lot, and deserves no explanation.
Very young, at 34, actually older than some players he coaches on the senior team but he has repeatedly said that he is not bothered. He has already shown his influence when he commanded the players not to talk to the media about matters to do with FUFA.
The Northern Irishman is very eloquent when speaking to the press. His knowledge about Ugandan football and Africa in general proves that he is here to stay.
9.Ben Misagga
A big critic of FUFA boss Moses Magogo and he is a former President of SC Villa. He has attacked Magogo and most FUFA officials from all spheres of life.
He has and still helps many Ugandan footballers and ex players and coaches with his personal money. Still worshiped by some fans and journalists as well.
His rants have however been insightful on most occasions and kept FUFA checked for performance. When Misagga coughs, the whole of Mengo sneezes.
8.Allan Okello
Social media analytics will tell you that Allan Okello has been the most talked about Uganda player in the recent past, and that explains his influence.
His power cannot be quantified as he holds no office but his talent and given the fact that all millennials have watched him turn into a prolific player, has drawn a lot of attention and love.
Before he left the Uganda Premier League to play for Algeria’s Paradou, most fans flocked the gates of Lugogo to watch just Okello on match-day and he rarely disappointed.
7.Mujib Kasule
He has done everything to do in Ugandan football. A former player and coach now an administrator. A CAF coaches instructor and his opinion is carried with all the weight it deserves.
Mujib is that nice guy who has not only criticised FUFA but also showed his intentions for the top seat before he was kicked out dramatically by the ‘system.’
He is a former FUFA Vice President, played for KCC and Uganda Cranes before going into early retirement.
6.Bernard Bainamani
Holding one of the top offices in Ugandan football, Bainamani has delivered to a certain extent.
A lot still has to be done including fighting to become more independent as a body running the top flight league in the country.
Bainamani was recently appointed as chairman for the rules and regulations review committee of the Masaza.
5.Edgar Watson
A federation CEO needs no introduction and Edgar continues to command deserved and huge respect in the football circle. He has used his influence for the right reasons. A soft spoken and clean administrator.
In the pitch, he captained SC Villa and the Uganda Cranes, winning seven league titles.
He has served the game in all angles, including forming the famous Edgars Youth Academy to produce new football talent and build for mould the future.
Also Read – Lawrence Bukenya on Why Loan Spell At Wakiso Is His best Season ever
4.Mike Mutebi
The Uefa B license coach gaffer has rebuilt KCCA FC into a formidable force and he is now a benchmark and role model for all coaches in the country.
It took him some good time to convince his critics wrong. A former player and national team coach who has earned a right to talk about everything Ugandan football. Call him arrogant but Mike Mutebi’s opinion carries enormous weight.
As a coach, he won a lot and he is continuing to nurture more talent.
3.Denis Onyango
You have heard many ‘from rags to riches’ stories but Onyango’s can win an Oscar in Hollywood. A story of perseverance, patience and hard work. But that will be for another day.
The Uganda Cranes captain commands more respect overseas than in his home country.
A CAF champions league winner with Sundowns who also took part in the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup. That same year, he was named the best player in Africa (African-based) by CAF.
Every time I interact with a friend (online) who is outside Africa, the moment I say that I am from Uganda, there are two things he/she normally replies; “The country of Onyango?” Or “Is that where Idi Amin Amini comes from?”
2.Lawrence Mulindwa
Credited for lifting Ugandan football, especially the Uganda Cranes, at a reasonable height when he relinquished his role as chairman of Bunamwaya FC to take over as FUFA president.
Even when he left the FUFA seat later in 2013, he never went into oblivion.
He has injected more personal money into football than anyone. The magnificent st Mary’s stadium, among other investments, have turned Vipers (former Bunamwaya) into a regional force.
1.Moses Magogo
The FUFA president since 2013 when he replaced Lawrence Mulindwa. He prefers to call himself the ‘historical president,’ something which has to do with leading Uganda Cranes to the 2017 AFCON finals for the first time since 1978, which is a fact.
No matter how his leadership has been perceived, his achievements, that include raising the bar for Women football, speak volumes.
The critics have repeatedly showed their discontent with the way the Engineer has poked his nose in matters he should not, and over using his influence in all football related decisions in the country. He calls all the shots.
