From Shs2bn to Shs500bn: How Magogo helped make government a key player in Uganda’s sports growth
Magogo points to January 23, 2015, as an important moment in FUFA’s efforts to deepen its relationship with government.
Football in Uganda can no longer be viewed merely as a recreational activity played on weekends and followed from the terraces.
According to FUFA President Moses Magogo, the sport has evolved into a major economic activity, with government emerging as one of its most important stakeholders.
Magogo says the relationship between football and government has been deliberately cultivated over the years, with the Federation seeking to convince the State that investment in sport can deliver economic and social returns.
“Government is such a huge football stakeholder,” Magogo said.
He explained that while FIFA insists that decisions relating to the interpretation and application of football statutes and regulations remain the exclusive preserve of football’s internal stakeholders, the game cannot grow without the support of external stakeholders.
“Stake-holding simply means the individuals and entities that influence the direction of an activity, most times to their benefit,” he said.
According to Magogo, football has both internal and external stakeholders.
The internal stakeholders include players, coaches, clubs, officials and referees, while the external stakeholders include government, sponsors, the media and fans.
“The game needs both to thrive and grow,” he said, adding that FUFA recognised the importance of government support early in its development strategy.
The 2015 turning point
Magogo points to January 23, 2015, as an important moment in FUFA’s efforts to deepen its relationship with government.
On that day, FUFA invited President Yoweri Museveni as the chief guest to launch the Project Cameroon 2019 campaign.
The President was represented at the event by then Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi.
Magogo recalls that before leaving the event, Ssekandi quietly asked him a question on behalf of the President.
“Byona mbiwulidde naye Omukulu mugambe ki?”
Loosely translated, the question was: “I have heard everything, but what should I tell the President?”
For Magogo, the question represented a fundamental opportunity to explain to government what football needed to become a sustainable industry.
“Our mission was to sell to the Government of Uganda that football is not just recreational but a full economic activity,” he said.
He identified what he calls the flip agenda, Funding, Law, Infrastructure and Policies, as the four areas where government support was critical.
From funding to infrastructure
Magogo argues that the government’s response to sports has changed significantly since then.
He cites a rise in government funding, saying the allocation to sports has grown from about Shs2 billion in 2015 to more than Shs500 billion in one year.
He also points to changes in the legal framework, particularly the transition from the 1964 National Council of Sports Act to the National Sports Act, 2023.
Infrastructure, he says, has equally undergone a major transformation, with new and renovated sports facilities being developed across the country.
“From a total system breakdown to magnificent stadiums inclusive of the countryside,” Magogo said.
He believes these investments are laying the foundation for Uganda to build a stronger sports economy.
Looking beyond AFCON 2027
With Uganda preparing to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) alongside Kenya and Tanzania, Magogo says the conversation around sports investment is already moving beyond the tournament itself.
“Our conversation has changed. It is no longer just AFCON 2027 but how will the sports industry take advantage of the post-AFCON?” he said.
For him, the tournament should serve as a catalyst for a broader transformation of Uganda’s sports industry, from infrastructure and talent development to commercialisation, employment and investment.
“The good news is that government once again is listening to the music,” Magogo said.
His message to sports administrators and stakeholders is straightforward: understanding how government works and presenting sport as an economic sector is essential to unlocking greater public investment.
“Speak the language government understands and send the right dogs to hunt.”
For Ugandan football, Magogo believes that strategy is already producing results, and the biggest opportunity may be to ensure that the investments made today continue generating value long after the final whistle of AFCON 2027.
