Are you familiar with who runs cricket in Uganda? Well, here is a list of some people who influence the game of cricket in the country.
It’s difficult to exhaust all people making a contribution to the game and in case you know anyone we have missed, we shall gladly feature them.
Bashir Ansasira
Bashir Ansasira commonly known as Badu is the current Chairman of Uganda Cricket. He has held the position for the last three years since taking over from Richard Mwami. In the final year of his second term, Badu has ensured that cricket is one of the most popular sports in Uganda. One of his big achievement is the improvement in the brand of the national team through international relations. Uganda plays annual series with Qatar and India that go a long way in helping them develop and test their players.
Martin Ondeko
Martin is the current CEO of Uganda Cricket and has risen through the ranks at the Lugogo based association. He joined Uganda Cricket in 2005 as an administrator before being promoted to Operations Manager and then replaced Justine Ligyalingi in 2018 as CEO. He is in charge of running the day to day affairs of cricket. A former player for Uganda and Nile Cricket Club, he scored a famous 99 not out at the 2004 U-19 Cricket World Cup.
Davis Turinawe
Davis Turinawe is the interim coach of the Cricket Cranes a position he has held since Steve Tikolo left the position. Not new to the role, Turinawe coached the Cricket Cranes for a short time in 2015 before taking up the Development Manager role with Rwanda Cricket. One of the few level 3 coaches in the country Turinawe has inspired other youngsters to take up coaching as a profession.
Sam Walusimbi
Arguably the best cricket Uganda has ever produced Sam Walusimbi is commonly known as SamG. Walusimbi was the Vice-Captain of the East Africa combined side to the 1975 World Cup in which he featured with John Nagenda as the only two players from Uganda. He is currently the Patron of his beloved Wanderers Cricket Club and a regular on the touchline every time they are playing. His son Tendo Mbazzi a very good all-rounder played for the Cricket Cranes as well.
William Kibuka Musoke
William Kibuka Musoke commonly known as Buki is a former Chairman of Uganda Cricket Association and current Patron of Tornado Bee Cricket Club. A former player for the Cricket Cranes, he went to become an administrator and also created his own club. His sons Jeremy and Cyrus Kibuka Musoke are involved in cricket as well.
Nehal Bibodi
One of the finest batsmen of his generation, Bibodi is now the Chairman of Selectors for Uganda Cricket. The selection of national team players is a big role and Nehal executes this role together with Richard Okia and Richard Lwamafa. He is also the Premier Cricket Club delegate on the UCA Board.
Mohammed Vaheed
Vaheed is the patron of Challengers Cricket Club and Striker Cricket Club. He is also the Chairman of the Development Committee for Uganda Cricket. He is a big supporter of cricket in Uganda and always on hand to serve whenever he is called.
Siva Kotti
Kotti is the team manager of three-time league winners Aziz Damani. While the men’s top-flight team is the most popular Aziz Damani has five clubs in Uganda Cricket with two teams in the ladies league and three in the men’s league. Siva is the man who ensures that all their teams remain competitive and challenge for titles every season.
Felix Musana
When Musana was posted to work as an Internal Auditor for Soroti Hospital, he didn’t know that six years later he would leave a legacy. A visionary Musana started the Soroti Cricket Academy with his friends and together they have inspired a generation to take up the game. The academy has not only given the girls a chance to play but also saved them the bad vices of society such as early marriage and dropping out of school.
Franklyn Najjumba
Najjumba is one of the finest players to ever feature for the Lady Cricket Cranes. A powerful all-rounder for the Lady Cricket Cranes who also doubles as the in-charge for Women’s Cricket at the secretariat. Najjumba has been able to find a work balance that has allowed her to also continue playing for the Lady Cricket Cranes.
Naomi Kayondo
Naomi Kayondo is a player for the Lady Cricket Cranes and also a practicing valuer. She is the founder of Little Stumps Cricket Academy. The Academy had grown from just three kids to over 25 before the lockdown was put in place. The academy has helped introduce the game to players at an early age and also to adults who didn’t get a chance to play in high school.
Rita Tinka
Rita has served as a board member for Uganda Cricket in charge of ladies’ affairs and also served as Secretary in an interim capacity. She is currently the Patron of Pioneer Cricket Club and very passionate about the cause for the ladies. She has always advocated for ladies to be treated the same as men especially when it came to remuneration and competition. She also has taken the game to the Rotary family from whom Cricket can benefit in terms of sponsorship for the game.
Brian Masaba
He is the current captain of the Cricket Cranes and a player with three-time league winners Aziz Damani. Masaba has patiently waited for his chance and he has taken it with both hands. He showed his maturity at the 1st round of the Challenge League B in Oman when he held his nerve in a nervous chase against Kenya. With his Cricket Cranes leading the World Cricket League B table you hope he will help the Cricket Cranes gain promotion to the next round of qualifiers.
Ivan Thawithemwira
You can talk about cricket in Nyakasura without mentioning Thawithemwira. Not that he was one of the white missionaries that introduced the game in the Christian founded school but he is credited for turning around the fortune of one of the founding cricket playing schools. His efforts to improve the performance of the school have seen Nyakasura finish among the top 4 schools at the school’s cricket festival for the last three years a big achievement for a school that was everyone’s punching bag. Still actively playing, Thawithemwira has played for Uganda at all levels and also had a professional stint in the USA in 2019.
Emmanuel Isaneez
The fiery paceman is now the Cricket Without Borders (CWB) Ambassador in Uganda. CWB an NGO from the UK has been spreading the game in Uganda using health messages focused on HIV. He has developed as a coach winning titles with cricket powerhouse Busoga College Mwiri and also was U-19 assistant coach in 2015. He started a partnership with Aziz Damani Cricket club that has developed cricket in the Kasese region and has ensured that the youngsters there get a proper surface.
Patrick Makumbi
Patrick is one of the longest-serving and most respected umpires in the local game. His knowledge has seen him represent Uganda in lCC tournaments and recently got appointed on the ICC Africa Umpires Development panel. He is the first Ugandan to be appointed the regional panel and we hope this can inspire developing umpires.
Habib Mugalula
Mugalula is a teacher at Jinja SSS and the school has benefited not from only his commerce knowledge but his cricket wisdom. Since Mugalula made it his job to improve the cricket at Jinja SSS, they have been a dominant school especially in the ladies game. His efforts have also benefited Uganda Cricket with the core of the ladies cricket team having gone through Jinja SSS.
Jackson Ogwang
Ogwang is the current assistant coach of the Cricket Cranes and the U-19 side. He has grown into a reliable trainer and coach taking a lot of young cricketers under his tutelage. He is also a coach for the two junior Aziz Damani sides in the national league.
Micheal Nuwagaba
Nuwagaba is the Secretary Uganda Cricket and nothing binding is done at the secretariat without his knowledge. He is second in command at a board level and he used his corporate experience to ensure that Uganda Cricket functions as a professional entity. A former player he played for Uganda and currently features for Wanderers Cricket Club.
Ranmal Keshwala
Keshwala is one of the trustees of Uganda Cricket and a big supporter of the game. From his base in Jinja he has supported various cricket tournaments with his deep pockets because if his love for the game.
The list is endless but you can send us feedback on anyone you would like to know in Uganda Cricket.