With the 2026/27 Uganda Premier League season set to kick off on Friday, there is little across the country to suggest that Uganda’s leading domestic football competition is about to return.
The new season is barely on people’s lips, which reflects the manner in which the league has handled its preparations. There has been limited promotion, little sustained storytelling and hardly any attempt to create anticipation around the opening weekend.
The UPL has long carried ambitions of becoming Uganda’s leading sports property, but questions remain over whether enough is being done to build, market and commercialise the competition beyond the glamorous documents.
Debate often centres on why Ugandan football supporters and journalists devote more attention to the English Premier League than the domestic game. However, the more important question is whether the UPL has created a product strong enough to compete for that attention.
A modern league cannot limit its responsibilities to organising matches, releasing fixtures and crowning a champion. It must build stars, create compelling storylines, attract sponsors, support clubs commercially and keep supporters engaged before and during the season.
That is where the UPL still appears to have considerable ground to cover. According to the season roadmap, the fixtures were supposed to be released on July 28, exactly one month before the scheduled August 28 kickoff. That timeline should have provided clubs, broadcasters, sponsors, journalists and supporters with sufficient time to prepare.
However, the initial fixture release covered only 14 of the 18 participating clubs as uncertainty over stadium approvals and the licensing of some teams continued deep into preseason.
Such uncertainty makes planning difficult for everyone connected to the competition. Sponsors require time to design campaigns, broadcasters need confirmed schedules, clubs must market their matches and supporters deserve enough notice to plan their attendance.
The release of fixtures should also be one of the league’s biggest promotional moments. It should generate conversations about the opening weekend, major rivalries, decisive title clashes, promoted clubs and the journeys supporters could make during the season.
Instead, much of the discussion around the UPL fixtures focused on the teams and venues that had not been confirmed.
The English Premier League, which commands an enormous following in Uganda, begins marketing every new campaign long before the first ball is kicked. Fixture-release day generates analysis, graphics, interviews and discussions about opening matches and major rivalries.
The UPL does not require English football’s financial strength to apply similar principles. It needs planning, consistency and a clear understanding that supporters must be persuaded to invest their time and emotions in the competition.
There is also a strong case for more consistent league-generated content. Official statistics covering goals, assists, clean sheets, appearances, disciplinary records and historical achievements should be readily available to supporters and journalists.
The league should regularly produce player interviews, club features, match previews, documentaries and behind-the-scenes material. Ugandan football has enough personalities, rivalries and human-interest stories to sustain such coverage throughout the season.
Matches involving SC Villa, KCCA, Express and Vipers carry considerable history, while clubs such as Kitara, NEC and BUL have created new competitive storylines. These fixtures, however, require deliberate promotion if they are to become major sporting events rather than simply another entry on the calendar.
The same attention must be given to the players, the league should be at the forefront of turning its leading performers into recognisable personalities beyond the football grounds.
Supporters are more likely to connect with a competition when they know the players, understand their backgrounds and can follow the stories behind their performances. A league that does not actively market its stars should not be surprised when the public becomes more familiar with players competing thousands of kilometres away.
Media engagement also requires improvement; the UPL should develop a reliable system through which journalists can access similar material. The media cannot promote players, clubs and matches effectively when basic information is difficult to obtain or arrives too late to shape meaningful coverage.
There have been attempts to strengthen the league’s commercial operations and digital presence, but such initiatives will only make a difference if they are part of a sustained strategy rather than isolated activities.
The matchday experience must also improve; better ticketing, merchandising, entertainment, sponsor activations and communication can help turn league games into attractive weekend events, especially for younger supporters and families.
Ultimately, the UPL is competing for attention not only with foreign football, but also with basketball, rugby, music, entertainment and countless digital platforms.
That competition cannot be won by blaming supporters or journalists for choosing other products; it must be won by presenting a stronger and more attractive domestic competition.
With the new campaign arriving almost unnoticed, the quiet build-up should concern anyone who wants the UPL to become Uganda’s premium sports brand. The football, clubs, rivalries and personalities already exist, but the league must take greater responsibility for how they are packaged and promoted.
The challenge is no longer simply to organise Ugandan football; it is to make more Ugandans care that it is being played.
