National Council of Sports (NCS) General Secretary Dr Bernard Patrick Ogwel has warned that sports bodies existing only on paper will soon be pushed out of Uganda’s sporting landscape.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday at the NCS headquarters in Lugogo, Ogwel said several organisations currently operating as national federations do not meet the legal standards set out in the National Sports Act.
He was updating the media on the ongoing registration and compliance exercise guided by the National Sports Act CAP 151 and the National Sports Regulations 2025.
According to Ogwel, the process has exposed serious weaknesses in sports administration across the country.
“Outside the Central Region, very few districts can even name more than five sports disciplines,” Ogwel said, citing NCS monitoring in all 146 districts.
“Some of these so-called national federations operate in just a few areas. They are closer to village federations than national ones.”
Since President Yoweri Museveni assented to the law in 2023, Ogwel said NCS has faced four key challenges; non-compliance with the law, weak institutional capacity, late or incomplete submissions, and persistent governance wrangles within federations.
He challenged federations to prove they have real national structures and grassroots activity, questioning how some bodies claim national status without visible presence on the ground.
“Ask them what structures they use to promote the sport,” Ogwel said. “Many simply don’t exist beyond paperwork.”
Ogwel issued a firm warning that only compliant federations will be gazetted by June 2026. Those that fail to meet the requirements will have their applications rejected and their certificates revoked.
“By June 2026, we shall gazette the federations that qualify,” he said. “Those that don’t comply will automatically be rejected.”
He also criticised federations accused of submitting fabricated accountability reports without conducting real activities.
“Most federations don’t do any activities,” Ogwel said. “They produce manufactured reports and documents from Nasser Road. They are not on the ground.”
Despite the tough message, Ogwel said government remains committed to developing sport, highlighting continued investment in infrastructure. He revealed plans to ensure each region has a 25,000-seater stadium.
“Government is doing its part by providing infrastructure,” he said. “The question is: what about the federations?”
Ogwel concluded by insisting that enforcement of the law is unavoidable.
“We are going to close federations that don’t meet the requirements,” he said. “The law is already in place. Our role is to implement it.”
So far, 45 of the 51 federations and associations submitted their applications before last year’s deadline, with the compliance process ongoing ahead of the June 2026 cutoff.
