By: Kayiira Jackson
In August 2023, the president of Republic of Uganda, Gen. Yoweri Museveni assented to the 2023 Sports law that aimed at revolutionising the sports industry in Uganda.
However, the law is not fully in action because it has no statutory instruments and regulations that drive it into full use.
On Wednesday, 06, November, 2024, National Council of Sports in conjunction with ministry of education and sports held the first consultative meeting with the National Sports federations and Associations to discuss the draft instruments before issuing the final copy of regulations.
The meeting was held at Copper Chimney Restaurant, Lugogo and it was graced by Uganda Olympic Committee President, Dr. Donald Rukare, NCS chairperson Ambrose Tashobya who also represented the sports Minister, Commissioner of Physical Education Canon. Rev. Dr. Duncans Mugumya, NCS general secretary Dr. Bernard Patrick Ogwel, officials from Ministry of Education and Sports and federations and Associations’ heads.
A number of regulations were discussed but the eyebrowing regulations were that concerning the sports academies and fees accompanied to them.
For starters, before the academies were directly dealing with the mother federations and Associations but in the new regulations, these academies shall get operational licences from National Council of Sports with recommendations from the mother federations.
The part VIII of the regulations of 2024 concerns about the operation of sports Academies in Uganda.
27. Operating sports academy
(1) A person who intends to operate a sports academy shall –
(a) apply to the Council for a licence on the recommendation of a national sports federation in the form prescribed in
Schedule 2 to these Regulations; and
(b) pay the fees prescribed in Schedule 3 to these Regulations.
(2) The Council shall, in considering an application for licensing a sports academy-
(a) safeguard the rights of a child including the right to education;
(b) ensure compliance with other laws including the Children Act;
(c) safeguard the welfare, rights and best interest of a child.
(3) An application for a licence under this regulation shall be accompanied with —
(a) a certificate of approval from the National Sports Federation;
(b) a certified copy of a certificate of incorporation of the sports academy, where applicable;
(c) evidence of payment of the prescribed fee; and (d) technical and financial proposal.
In this arrangement, the Academy to get a licence, one should pay an application fee of one million shillings to Council, then to get an operational license, one pays two million shillings.
Then application for renewal of licence to operate a sports academy, one pays five million shillings, then after that renewal, the academy pays a one million shillings to get licence after renewal.
When asked whether this won’t scare away the Academy proprietors and those who would like to join, NCS general secretary Dr. Bernard Patrick Ogwel asserted that sports is now an industry where people should invest.
Whether, this won’t call for double payment from the academies who are already subscribing to mother bodies with a fee, Ogwel said that that’s is not of their business, they only mind about what the instrument requires.
With sports federations, the instrument requires the federation to pay 10 million to apply for declaration of national sports, pays one million for applications in case of an association then a federation plays two millions. The federation also pays an annual arbitration fee of five million shillings.
