The fourth edition of the Uganda Aquatics Swimming League came to an exciting close over the weekend, with swimmers delivering outstanding performances during the final leg held at the newly commissioned eight-lane 25-metre swimming pool at Kabojja International School.
The 2026 league, which was competed over three legs, attracted a total of 706 athletes from 24 clubs across the country and, for the first time, doubled as the official qualification pathway to the Uganda Aquatics National Swimming Championships slated for July 2.
Unlike previous seasons where leagues mainly served developmental purposes, this year’s competition carried much higher stakes, with swimmers chasing qualification slots for the nationals in different races.
For the final leg, swimmers battled for places in the nationals through a demanding lineup of races that included the 100m butterfly, 200m backstroke, 1500m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 50m breaststroke and 200m individual medley.
Only the top 24 swimmers in each event are expected to qualify for the national championships, although Uganda Aquatics reserves the right to expand the field depending on close qualification margins and the need to widen the selection base for future regional competitions such as the CANA Zone 3 Championships, where Uganda plans to field both Team A and Team B squads.
Uganda Aquatics president Moses Mwase hailed the success of the league and praised the clubs and athletes that sustained the competition throughout the season.
“We have had a total of 24 teams and 706 athletes throughout the entire league season,” Mwase said during the closing ceremony.
The participating clubs included Altona, Aqua Akii Swim Club, Aquatic Academy, Black Fountain, Blue Whale, Dolphin Swim Club, Friends of Water Academy, Gator Swim Club, Glider Swim Club, Heart Swim Club, Imara Aquatic, Jaguar Swim Club, Makerere University Swim Club, Nile Shark, Otter, Osprey, Sailfish, Seals, Starling, Torpedo, Tumaini Aquatic Academy, Vision for Africa and Water Brain.
The competition attracted 332 female swimmers and 374 male swimmers, further highlighting the rapid growth of competitive swimming in Uganda.
A notable addition to this year’s league was the inclusion of special needs swimmers at every leg of the competition, a move Uganda Aquatics introduced to foster inclusivity and ensure wider participation within the sport.
Inside the pool, swimmers responded with some of the fastest and most competitive times of the season as many athletes secured qualification marks for the nationals.
One of the standout performers of the final leg was Arthur Mwase of Sailfish Swim Club, who dominated the boys’ 800m freestyle after clocking an impressive 9:30.09. He finished ahead of Pendo Kaumi from Dolphins Swim Club, who touched the wall in 9:44.21, while Benjamin Lutaaya of Gators Swim Club settled for third in 9:58.39.
In the girls’ 800m freestyle, Zara Marie Mbanga of Jaguar Swim Club produced one of the most dominant performances of the weekend, winning the race in 10:17.49 ahead of Paloma Kirabo of Gators Swim Club, who posted 10:26.05. Jaguar’s Shivon Nagginda completed the podium positions with a time of 10:50.44.
Mbanga continued her excellent form in the girls’ 13-14 years 100m breaststroke, storming to victory in 1:18.85. Najjuma Nisha Pearl of Otters Swim Club followed in second place with 1:21.97, while Mackayla Ssali from Dolphins Swim Club finished third in 1:22.61.
The boys’ 13-14 years breaststroke category also produced fast times, with Elijah Ayesiga of Torpedoes Swim Club claiming victory in 1:16.06 ahead of Arthur Nsubuga from Imara Aquatics, who clocked 1:16.81. Sailfish swimmer Robin Vandenhoeke finished third in 1:17.10.
Among the younger swimmers, Blessing Namugga from Vision for Africa impressed after winning the girls’ 10 and under 100m breaststroke in 1:34.94, ahead of Amaya Gabrielle from Otters Swim Club and Aya Adams of Blue Whales Aquatic Venture.
Aya Adams later returned to dominate the girls’ 50m backstroke in the same age category, winning comfortably in 36.58 seconds, while Aquatic Academy’s Singa Husnah Kajumbi finished second in 41.97 seconds and Sailfish swimmer Abigael Keza Muttamba came third in 42.19 seconds.
In the boys’ 10 and under breaststroke, Aqua Akii’s Tzion Tamale emerged victorious in 1:33.21, narrowly ahead of Geremiah Opolot from Ospreys Swim Club, who finished in 1:35.81. Dolphins Swim Club swimmer Isaac Gabriel Isabirye secured third place in 1:39.92.
Imara Aquatics also enjoyed a strong outing through Kristian Mugumya Bwisho, who dominated the boys’ 11-12 breaststroke with a winning time of 1:16.59 ahead of Mugenyi Shane of Otters Swim Club and teammate Ibrahim Lule.
In the senior categories, the competition remained equally fierce. Kikambi Theresa of Dolphins Swim Club won the girls’ 15-16 breaststroke in 1:24.43 ahead of Aqua Akii’s Angella Businge and Sailfish’s Karen Mwangi.
The boys’ 15-16 category saw Jonathan Kaweesa of Torpedoes Swim Club post one of the fastest breaststroke times of the meet after winning in 1:11.11. Payton Ssekitto from Black Panthers finished second in 1:13.53 while Ssango Kigundu of Aquatic Academy took third place in 1:15.39.
In the men’s 17 and over division, Kyle Kimuli of Torpedoes Swim Club claimed victory in 1:07.00, narrowly edging Larry Graig Feni of Imara Aquatics, who touched in 1:07.40. Dolphins Swim Club’s Ian Aziku finished third in 1:09.97.
The women’s 17 and over category was won by Swagiah Mubiru of Gators Swim Club after she clocked 1:20.56, ahead of Tara Kisawuzi from Altona and Husnah Kukundakwe of Gators Swim Club.
Beyond the results, coaches praised both the competitiveness of the league and the quality of the new Kabojja facility.
Magola Aksam, the head coach of Hertz Swim Club, said the pressure to qualify for nationals had elevated the standard of competition.
“The league has been very competitive because the kids have to qualify for the National Swimming Championships. We are not doing custom times, so it has been very interesting,” Aksam said.
“The kids are doing very good times and since the pool is new, they are trying to explore, but it wasn’t a challenge.”
Joseph Kabogoza of Sailfish Swim Club admitted there had initially been uncertainty about competing at a new venue, but the facility ultimately produced excellent performances.
“There’s been a lot of personal best times registered, and swimming is all about registering personal best times,” Kabogoza said.
“I’m sure we’ve also qualified quite a number of swimmers into the national championship.”
Meanwhile, Tony Kasuja of Dolphins Swim Club revealed that his team had approached the competition with a clear qualification strategy.
“Our major focus was to qualify,” Kasuja explained.
“I’m very excited and happy about the performances of our swimmers. Most of them have met their qualifying times. We focused on getting used to the new pool, the starts, the turns and overall swim technique.”
With the nationals now less than two months away, the successful conclusion of the 4th Uganda Aquatics Swimming League has provided Uganda Aquatics with a strong foundation for national team selection while also showcasing the growing depth, competitiveness and inclusivity of swimming in the country.