By Mulengera Reporters
From the sporting infrastructure to fundraising, preparations are underway for Uganda to co-host the AFCON 2027 tournament along with other EAC sister countries.
It will be a huge event on which Kampala is counting to boost its foreign exchange receipts as thousands of international guests will be visiting, staying around and spending big dollar. The country’s tourism industry will equally be getting impacted besides the plenty of global media publicity that will be focusing on Uganda as a matter of course.
But having learnt from past scandals like the one of Chogm in 2007, President Museveni isn’t taking chances. He wants everything to go very well and total accountability for every coin.
His enthusiasm and dedication to making sure that everything goes very well can be seen in his decision to deploy his own wife Janet Kataha Museveni to directly oversee the whole thing and her involvement is justifiable and not hard to understand given that the Education docket she heads as the political leader is the home to the country’s sports department.
In place is something called the Local Organizing Committee (LoC) for the tournament. And this is headed by Janet Museveni as Chairperson. Youthful Peter Ogwang, the Sports Minister, is co-chair. The duo is deputized by FUFA President Eng Moses Hassim Magogo as Vice Chairperson.
Unassuming as always, Janet Museveni has started on her job with enthusiasm. For she can’t afford disappointing the President and not meeting the high expectations millions of Ugandans and fellow Christians have in her.
The infrastructure development projects are ongoing to make sure that the multi-purpose stadia and other complementary sporting facilities are delivered on time in Hoima, Lira City and other parts of the country. Those who know her well say that Janet Museveni is a perfectionist and doesn’t tolerate mediocrity. In her world, one should never have any excuse delivering less than the best.
Meetings are ongoing routinely under her stewardship mostly at the Nakasero State Lodge where recently a session was held to hammer out the final details into the tournament budget.
At the end of the Thursday session, during which every proposed figure or coin was scrutinized, a total budget of Shs48bn was agreed upon and approved by LoC members. 
These number 22 of them in total, including former Ministers and other key public officials, and below them are 13 Sub Committees headed by eminent citizens of Uganda.
About 150 carefully selected officials, from both the public and private sectors, have been put together into the 13 Sub Committees whose members have been tasked with doing all they can to ensure they help and enable Janet Museveni to perfectly deliver on the AFCON assignment whose success will naturally raise her profile even further while flattering her personal pedigree.
It’s through the above 13 referenced Sub Committees that the Shs48bn will have to be expended to facilitate all related complementary activities in the runner up to, during and after the AFCON tournament. Education Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda, a Church of Uganda Canon, has been designated by the President to the one to centrally control and handle the Shs48bn budget. Gratefully, she is already familiar with public finances management, given that she is already an accounting officer for her Ministry where she works very well with Janet.
WHO’S ON BOARD:
We hereunder reflect on some of the men and women constituting these AFCON Sub Committees. To begin with is the LoC which besides Janet, Ogwang and Magogo has the following as members: MoES’ Dr. Dennis K Mugimba, NCS’s Dr. Patrick Bernard Ogwel, ex-EALA Speaker/Makerere’s Hon Dan Fred Kidega, FUFA’s Rogers Byamukama, Solicitor General Pius Biribonwoha, ICT PS Dr. Aminah Zawedde, FUFA’s Ronnie Kalema, FUFA’s Issa Magoola and MoH’s Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze.
Each of these respectively chairs a subcommittee as follows Ogwel Finance, Kidega Spectators’ Services, Byamukama Marketing, Biribonwoha Legal/Brand Protection Committee, Zawedde ICT/accreditation, Kalema Operations, Magoola Team Services Committee and Kyabayinze Medical & Doping control Sub Committee.
Others are Abraham Betongyeza Safety/Security Committee, Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi Guest Management/Hospitality Committee, Justus Mugisha Workforce/Volunteers Committee, MoES PS Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda, MoES Principal Administrative Secretary Jacqueline Basemera (who is LoC Secretary) and IOC’s William Blick.
Zawedde’s Committee has the following members: Salim Katumba, Collins Ssemanda, ICT Specialist Florence Mukankusi, Patrick Okoth, Winnie Nakanjako and Lt Col Denis Kakande from the UPDF.
Kalema’s operations Committee has lawyer Ronald Apuuli Tugume, Faizal Musenze, KCCA FC’s Anisha Shahir Muhoozi, Namboole Stadium MD Jamil Ssewanyana, Dr. Azar Taibu, CEO Trends Setters Uganda Yvonne Mpanga, veteran journalist/lawyer Angelo Izama, Dan Obote and Solomon Kirunda.
Rogers Byamukama’s Marketing Committee has NBS owner Kin Kariisa, PSFU’s Stephen Asiimwe, tourism enthusiast Amos Wekesa, FUFA TV CEO Shawn Mubiru, Corporate leader Cynthia Mpanga of Standard Chartered Bank and Yusuf Kaggwa.
Biribonwoha’s legal/brand protection committee has Fufa lawyer Ojok Odur, MoES’ Brighton Barugahare, IRA’s head legal Shadiah Nakamanya, PPDA’s head legal Mary Akiror, Fufa’s Dennis Lukambi and Kitara FC’s Deo Kasozi.
Issa Magoola’s Teams Services Committee has Ivan Mugowa, Dr. Dennis Buwembo, Dennis Okuno, Cecilia Anyakoit, BuL FC’s Ronald Barente and Fufa Executice member Frank Akunzire.
Dr. Kyabayinze’s medical & doping control committee has Dr. Apollo Ahimbisibwe, KCCA’s Dr. Sarah Zalwango, Dr. Kusolo Mwanga, Dr. JB Namahoro, Dr. Opika Opoka and Fifa international referee Dr. Ali Sabiira.
Abraham Batengyeza’s security committee Stephen Kacuumu, SFC’s Brig Gen Charity Bainababo, Col Charles Asingura, ISO’s Major Richard T Wazarwa, Amin Bboosa, Humphrey Mandu and ESO’s Moses Droma.
Nakiwala Kiyingi’s guest management & hospitality committee has Ambassador Charles Ssentongo (GoU’s Chief of Protocol at MoFA), UTB’s Bradford Ochieng, ex-Buganda Minister Oweek Ssekabembe, KCCA’s Charles Maginot, PoU’s Kassim Nsimbe and Agnes Mugena.
Justus Mugisha’s Workforce/Volunteers Committee has MoES’ Rev Duncans Mugumya, veteran sports journalist Ahmed Bogere Masembe, David Katende, Fufa’s Samuel Mpiima, Wakiso RDC Justin Mbabazi and former Uganda Cranes Captain Andy Mwesigwa.
Ambrose Tashobya’s infrastructure management committee has Fufa engineer Arthur Kiwuwa as vice chairperson, Dr. Kenneth Semwogerere, Works Ministry’s Dr. Edward Ssimbwa, MoES’ Asaph Abenaitwe, Fufa’s Patrick Ntege and Fufa Club Licensing Manager Shirah Nakagwa.
Dr. Dennis Mugimba’s communications & signage committee has Fufa’s Rogers Mulindwa as the vice chair, Vision Group’s Don Wanyama, Stanbic Bank’s Catherine Akiteng Adengo, veteran sports journalist Mark Namanya, Fufa’s Amina Bukenya and Fufa communications director Ahmed Hussein.
Dr. Patrick Bernard Ogwel’s Finance Committee has Aggrey Ashaba as vice chair, NPA’s Dr. Joseph Muvawala, MoES’ Bellarmine Okudi, Finance Ministry’s Francis Muhumuza, Fufa’s Rasul Ariga and Rebecca Nansamba, a finance expert from Fufa.
Dan Kidega’s Spectators & Fans Experience Committee has MoES’ Sammy Odongo as vice chair, Legends CEO Aggrey Kagonyera, veteran sports journalist Mark Ssali, Kibo Media MD Bobkins Kibirige, Airtel Uganda’s Sharon Abisagi also of Kitara FC and Fufa Executive member Richard Ochom. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
