Overview:
The Rotary 5-Aside was deliberately designed around a simple principle: competition on the pitch should translate into service in communities.
- Event: 10th Rotary 5-aside football
- Date: Saturday, 19th September 2026
- Venue: Kampala Quality Sports Complex (next to the Bahá’í Temple)
- Organizer: Rotary Club of Kiwatule
- Rotary District: District 92132026
- Theme: Play With Purpose. Create Impact
From a modest football tournament with about 30 teams in 2015 to a national Rotary platform that has mobilized more than UGX 170 million for community service, the Rotary 5-Aside football tournament is now celebrating ten years of football, fellowship and impact.
The Rotary Club of Kiwatule officially launched the 10th edition of the Rotary 5-Aside on Thursday, 13 August 2026, at Quality Sports Complex, Kampala city.
Riding along the theme line of “Play with purpose, create impact”, this tournament will take place on 19 September 2026.
Humble beginning and strides:
Ten years after the first tournament was held at Lugogo Hockey Grounds in September 2015, the Rotary 5-Aside has evolved into one of Uganda’s most anticipated Rotary sporting and fellowship events, bringing together Rotary clubs, Rotaract clubs, corporate teams, sponsors, football enthusiasts and communities from across the country.
Evolution from Football to movement for service:
The bold story of the Rotary 5-Aside has never been about football alone. It is about what happens after the final whistle.
The Rotary 5-Aside was deliberately designed around a simple principle: competition on the pitch should translate into service in communities.
From its earliest editions, prize money was linked to written community project proposals, with funds directed towards implementation.
This created a direct connection between sporting achievement and Rotary’s commitment to Service Above Self.
Over the past decade, the tournament has supported projects in health, education, water and sanitation and community development.
Early beneficiaries included Jjanyi Primary School in Bwebajja and Kikandwa Health Centre in Mukono, alongside medical outreach activities.
In 2019, proceeds supported the development of a maternity ward at Anamwany Health Centre in Amolatar District.
The tournament has continued to support Anamwany Health Centre, including the equipping of the facility, extending the legacy of the 5-Aside beyond fundraising into tangible improvements in healthcare delivery.
Numbers tell the story-line in depth:
The numbers tell an important part of the story.
By 2019, the Rotary 5-Aside had raised more than UGX 73 million since inception.
Following its return after the COVID-19 interruption, approximately UGX 30 million was made available in project-linked prize funding in 2022.
By 2023, cumulative mobilization reported in the media had surpassed UGX 100 million.
By the 2025 edition, organizers reported cumulative fundraising of approximately UGX 170 million to UGX 180 million since the tournament began.
The impact extends far beyond the funds themselves.
The legacy of the tournament includes health interventions, support to schools, WASH initiatives and community projects implemented across Uganda.
Based on the scale of initiatives supported over the years, the tournament’s legacy article estimates that more than one million community members have been directly or indirectly reached.
National context:
What began as a Rotary Club of Kiwatule initiative has grown into a national Rotary moment.
The tournament has consistently attracted participation from Rotary and Rotaract clubs across Districts 9213 and 9214, with teams travelling from different parts of Uganda, including Gulu, Arua, Hoima and Kasese.
Corporate Uganda has also played an important role in the tournament’s growth.
Over the years, the Rotary 5-Aside has attracted partners and participants including Letshego, Castle Lite, KCB, DStv, Centenary Bank and others.
For the 2026 edition, returning and participating partners include Centenary Bank, Pride Bank, KCCA and NCBA Bank, with additional corporate partners expected to join the tournament.
The 2024 edition demonstrated how far the tournament has grown, attracting 93 teams, including 48 Rotary clubs, 24 Rotaract clubs and 21 corporate teams, alongside an estimated 2,000 spectators. It was also the first edition to be played under floodlights.
Upcoming 10th edition:
For the Rotary Club of Kiwatule, the 10th edition is both a celebration of the journey and a commitment to the future.
It celebrates the players who have competed over the years, the clubs that have participated, the corporate partners and sponsors who have supported the vision, the volunteers and organisers who have kept the tournament growing, the media that has told its story, and the communities whose lives have been touched through the resulting projects.
Ten years ago, the Rotary 5-Aside began with an idea to bring people together through football. Today, we are celebrating a platform that has mobilised significant resources for community service, brought Rotary, Rotaract and corporate Uganda together, and created opportunities for communities to benefit from our fellowship.Our 10th edition is a celebration of everyone who has been part of this journey. But it is also a statement about where we are going. We want to play with purpose and create even greater impact.”
Rtn. Edward Nkangi, President of the Rotary Club of Kiwatule
The Rotary 5-Aside has demonstrated what is possible when fellowship is connected to purpose. For ten years, this tournament has brought people together, created partnerships and turned sporting participation into resources for communities.
Rtn. Gerald Obai, District Governor of Rotary District 9213
As we celebrate the 10th edition, we celebrate a legacy built by thousands of players, clubs, partners, volunteers and supporters. The next decade presents an opportunity to build on this foundation and reach even more communities through service.”
Rtn Malcolm
Beyond the football game:
The legacy of the Rotary 5-Aside is not measured only by trophies, goals or tournament winners.
It is measured by the health facilities supported, schools strengthened, medical outreaches conducted, WASH initiatives implemented and communities reached.
The tournament has also created a unique space where Rotary, Rotaract, corporate Uganda and the public meet through sport, strengthening fellowship, partnerships and Rotary’s visibility in community development.
The 10th edition therefore carries a simple but powerful message; “Play with Purpose. Create Impact”.
