In March last year, I had a long and honest conversation with then head coach Emmanuel Katuntu about the trying times his club Makerere Impis were experiencing.
“If you asked why the results are not coming, I really don’t know what to tell you,” he said to me that evening at The Graveyard.
Twelve months later, the fortunes at Impis have taken an about-turn. The Makerere club reached one Sevens Series final and two semifinals, retained their Uganda Cup Shield, and are currently unbeaten in the premier league. Katuntu also laced up his boots and returned to full duty on the pitch as a scrumhalf.
Impis are on cloud nine and it is clear for all to see. They sit in fourth place on the table, tied on points with defending champions Heathens.
Back then, Katuntu, who has since handed over to Syrus Sebuliba, gave me the earliest hints of ‘The Project’ everyone at Impis is now talking about. “It really shows the level where we have reached. Before, these teams were really quite ahead of us. So when you see the scores and margins becoming smaller, it means you’ve done your work to get to their level or even surpass them. So it shows that what we are doing is working and it’s not for nothing,” he said.
Now, Impis have finally got to the level of their opponents, and surpassed some of them. The five wins in five premier league matches so far have not been dominant and clear-cut. Rather, Impis have stayed within striking range of their opponents, then went ahead and held on until the final whistle.
Impis have figured out a way to turn last year’s bonus point losses into wins. Except for Walukuba who were promoted this season, this season’s wins against Jinja Hippos, Mongers, Rams, and Rhinos were all losses (home and away) last season in 2022. Of the eight matches in total, Impis collected five losing bonus points – once against Mongers and twice against Rams and Rhinos.
That they have given away the losing bonus point every weekend is a sign that Impis are not yet head and shoulders above their opponents. Still a long way to go but they are far from where they started.
When compared with the previous three seasons, Impis are in line to eclipse their past results by a huge margin. They already have more points than any from the past three seasons and need one more win to equal the combined tally since 2019-20.
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | BP Wins | BP Losses | Total Points | Position (out of 10) | |
| 2023* | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4th* |
| 2022 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 7 | 16 | 9th |
| 2021 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 8th |
| 2019-20 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 9th |
One of the key differentials this season has been flyhalf Henry Nsekuye’s reliable boot. Not only is he the league’s current top kicker so far but his kicking range and accuracy have enabled Impis to play in the right places. Nsekuye has been named Man of the Match on three occasions and his exploits won him the ForteBet Real Stars Rugby Player of the Month award for January.
The others include the ever-reliable backrow combination of Pius Mpoza and Emmanuel Ssedyabane. Their partner-in-crime captain Kennedy Muhumuza has transitioned to the midfield where he continues to lead from the front. John Tamale has become the go-to jumper in the lineouts, with Godfrey Ayebare’s hard tackles on the frontline, and Ariho Muhumuza for the heavy carries. Not forgetting loyal veterans Amos Asimire, Gabriel Mugabi, and Derrick Beijuka.
A lot has been said about Impis. Some have referred to them as the proverbial elephant sitting on a tree branch and how they have just been lucky to be where they are.
To be brutally honest, Impis have not yet arrived. Despite rubbing shoulders with the “big boys” this season, they are not one of them. But one must not make the mistake of assuming they are not aware of this.
No single soul expects Impis to challenge for the league, even in their dreams. But Impis have restored arrogance at The Graveyard and gave their loyal fans something to cheer about. Which they have yearned for years.
Impis may have surpassed some of their mid-table opponents but how close have they come to the top three? The real test of their credentials begins this weekend with a visit to Heathens. It will be followed by Buffaloes, Kobs, and Black Pirates in the first round, and then Heathens again to kick off the second round.
Whatever the outcome from those matches is, Impis will have shot for the moon and landed among the stars. And that’s all that matters.
