First Lady who doubles as the Minister of Education and Sports Janat Museveni Kataha will meet NCS General Secretary Bernard Ogwel and Uganda Netball Federation President Sarah Babirye Kityo.
The meeting comes in the wake of ongoing accusations from both NCS and Netball mainly about accountability.
The First Lady will be meeting the two on Wednesday, February 8 at the State House in Nakasero per sources.
And there is growing hope that a resolution will be reached for the good of Sport.
NCS claim that Babirye and her Federation have failed to account for the funds dispersed to them by the Government, in addition to administration wrangles at the Federation.
And in response Babirye Kityo has accused Ogwel of sabotaging the UNF work, asking kickbacks on funds and notably asking her to account for funds she never received.
Babirye Drops Bombshells
After NCS held a media briefing last week to talk about the ongoing saga, Babirye reiterated with press conference on Monday.
Babirye says that the genesis of this ongoing saga started in 2021 with that trip to South Africa:
“We were in a meeting with some other colleagues, the time we were going for South Africa that is where this whole saga started, Ogwel gave us Sh100m. He deposited the funds on the accounts. He sent the three members of the Executive – Muhumuza, Aminah Mande and Hajjat Nambusi. They told us that Ogwel said that out of Sh100m, he wanted a kickback of Sh40m which is almost 50%. I have said this to the CID, it’s not the first time I am saying this, I have told this to the CID, in a meeting with NCS and they can’t deny it. I have said this in meeting with Sports Minister.
“When Ogwel asked for that kickback, we told him that we don’t have that money and we refused to give him the money. The three were supposed to travel with the team to South Africa, I was also travelling with the team, we went with the team, I went through the VIP and they went through the other side, reaching on the Plane, Mande and Muhumuza were not on the plane – without me knowing. We reached South Africa and we were stuck before we were picked some hours later. They joined us after two days, Ogwel also came to South Africa. We asked them where the allowances for the players and responded that it was a complicated situation they will explain later. I was hard on them and that’s when they explained to us.
“When we returned, that is when they started telling us how they gave the kickback to Ogwel. I went to Ogwel with Brigadier Byekwaso and he denied. He promised he was going to open up a Police case, and I am challenging Ogwel if he ever kept that promise, let him share the Police reference number of the matter. That was in 2021. This is 2023. I have never been summoned to Police about the matter.
“Mande admitted that the Sh30m was given to Ogwel but it was done by Muhumuza. He disappeared at the gate of NCS ahead of the meeting. He was in my car then and pretended that someone had called him and he disappeared. He later said that Ogwel called and warned me not to appear.
“I wrote a letter to NCS in 2021 to Ogwel seeking guidance from him on how to go about the Sh30m issue that Muhumuza claim he gave it to you as a kickback which was allowances for the players. I am challenging Ogwel that if what I am saying are lies, and he has nothing to do with the Sh30m, why did he give us the money for Namibia if we didn’t clear up the accountability! Because all this time he has been claiming that we can’t access public funds because we hadn’t accounted for Namibia trip. Why did he give us money for Namibia if South Africa was not cleared? Why did he not open a Police case as he had promised if he was not guilty?”
In that NCS Press Conference, Chairperson Ambrose Tashobya said that they recognise the Uganda Netball Federation Executive elected into Power on June 25 2021.
Meaning that all activities carried out during the court order period including suspension of members and amending of constitution are null and void.
But Babirye said that they have never received any court order since coming into power!
“NCS has tried so much to nullify the deliberations and resolutions of 2022 AGM saying that there was a Court Order that was served to UNF which is not true,” Babirye added in a presser.
“Neither have they produced a copy of the alleged court order. UNF held its AGM after following all the UNF constitution procedure, the Police was informed, security was provided by Police. NCS was informed formally and they didn’t respond against the AGM.”
