Last month, Andrew Bakiza was elected as the Uganda Chess Federation president and took the oath at the swearing ceremony held at Kati Kati Restaurant on Friday, December 19.
Bakiza takes over a federation that has seen a fair share of internal friction over the past decade todate including petitions over the the election process. His opening move is one that is cautious.
“I believe in reconciliation, but guided by rules,” he says. “As president, I represent everyone. No grudges. Strong management means transparency, discipline, and accountability for all.”
Bakiza, whose résumé reads more like a boardroom profile than a sports dossier having worked with MTN Uganda, Airtel, Liquid Telecom, and Zain, says it is time to apply corporate discipline to the intellectual sport he believes has been under-managed.
“At its core, chess is an intellectual sport. I have been in rooms where players were architects, lawyers, engineers, many with Master’s degrees. These are people with serious potential who just need structure, welfare, and opportunity.”
The federation is still working toward full certification from the National Council of Sports (NCS) in accordance with the new Sports Act that requires mass participation across the country.
A key early target for Bakiza is upgrading chess from a Tier 4 to a Tier 3 federation under, a move that would unlock better government funding.
“Chess has been too centralized yet talent is everywhere, including in the informal sector. We must reach the last mile,” he says.
Bakiza plans to decentralise chess administration by strengthening regional associations in Western, Northern, Eastern, and Central Uganda. His plan includes equiping the regionaal associations with boards and clocks, funding the associaitions proportionally, and demanding clear district-level plans with proper reporting.
Vissibilty is a key asspect of growth of a sport and Bakiza wants chess to be more visible trhough digital boards connected to the internet, that he says, can turn tournaments into spectator events. His long-term dream includes deploying up to 1,000 digital boards nationwide.
Bakisa did not shy away from raising expectations for players. He pledged to increase international prize money fivefold and has floated an ambitious idea of awarding a car annually to the country’s best player but perhaps his boldest promise was will have a permanent home for chess by July next year and not borrowed hotel rooms.
“I am ready to be held accountable,” he said.