The Kawaase committee report that was finally released on Friday blamed the current football wrangles on lack of proper legal frame work to regulate the relationship between the Uganda Super League Ltd (USLL) and Fufa causing both parties to rely on different laws in carrying out their operations.
On many counts, Fufa is cited as the trouble causer of this entire circus since given its
authority as the legitimate soccer governing body should have put in place proper laws to regulate and govern the operations of USLL which it mandated to run the league following the Jinja declaration.
“The mandate to run the Uganda Super League is derived from Fufa, who authorized USL in furtherance of the Jinja Declaration. However, the operation of the mandate was done through Fufa Ltd which is said to be the body corporate of Fufa,” states the report in one of the sections.
The report also questions the legality of Lawrence Mulindwa’s Fufa, incorporated in 2009, and recommends that it is corrected by seeking government approval and should involve the public.
This implies that Fufa Ltd as registered at the registrar of companies is different from Fufa- the assumed soccer governing body affiliated to Caf and Fifa.
The report further indicates that Fufa is still a shareholder in the USLL and the latter is a member of Fufa as per the new constitution thus for USLL to lose the mandate to organize the national league, clubs should be involved and sponsors respected in order for the act to be to lawful.
Furthermore, the committee concludes that Fufa’s move to ban USL chairman Kavuma Kabenge and Jimmy Ebil Ssegawa for eleven and one year respectively in their individual capacities was wrong because the move breached the Fufa constitution. Quoting articles 9, 13 and 14 of the Fufa constitution, the committee noted that suspension or expulsion of members can only be valid if exercised by the Fufa general assembly which never happened in this scenario.
However, the committee states that ‘Fufa should be recognized by USLL as the supreme body through which the USL can be linked to Caf and Fifa (Africa and world’s football ruling bodies respectively.’
The Kawaase committee was sanctioned by sports minister Charles Bakkabulindi to research the cause of the wrangles between Fufa and USL that have for the past two years characterized the running of league football in the country.
The eight man committee had Hajji Abbas Kawaase Mukasa as its chairman. Others on the committee are Jasper Aligaweesa, Gen. Katumba Wamala, Godfrey Kirumira, Hassan Badru Zziwa, Dan Tamwesigire, Anthony Katamba and Yusuf Mukoka.
Amazingly, Hajji Abbas Mukasa Kawaase has been appointed as the chairman of the Fufa Super League Ltd, a rival company that has been created by the federation to run the topflight league in the country.
The question that remains in all football circles at the moment is whether the report can stand the test of time and recommendations cited taken into consideration.
