Overview:
The AGM closed with the clubs entering its new season with more resources, a bigger competition and a potentially larger commercial market – but also with the responsibility to turn those opportunities into a stronger, more sustainable league.
Uganda Premier League clubs gathered in Hoima City on Saturday for the 13th FUFA Super League Limited (FSLL) Annual General Meeting.
The AGM took stock of the 2025/26 season while projecting into an expanded 2026/27 campaign and the opportunities presented by Uganda’s co-hosting of Afcon 2027.
Hosted by Kitara FC at HB Hotel, the meeting brought together club chairpersons, FSLL leadership, the league Secretariat, Fufa officials and invited guests.
Discussions ranged from government support and financial accountability to commercial development, fan engagement, digital growth and club development.
Power of branding
Dennis Mugimba, spokesperson for the Ministry of Education and Sports and chairperson of the Communications and Signage Sub-Committee of the Afcon 2027 Local Organising Committee, was the chief guest.
Mugimba highlighted the wider socio-economic opportunities presented by Uganda co-hosting Afcon 2027 and challenged clubs to position themselves to benefit in the immediate, short and long term.
“The benefits are immense,” Mugimba told the assembly. He urged clubs to strengthen their visibility and commercial readiness, pointing in particular to the importance of official digital platforms.
“Social media is good but when some high-value potential partner wants information about you, they look for your website.
“You need to brand yourselves on your websites in order to increase your visibility. A website is irreplaceable.”
Government support and accountability
Mugimba also encouraged clubs to use the government support as a springboard for longer-term development, including investment in data, player welfare, technical development and institutional capacity.
He was referring to the Shs5.5 billion that the government has allocated to the 18 topflight clubs for the 2026/27 season.
FUFA President Moses Magogo welcomed the government intervention.
The allocation is being processed directly between the National Council of Sports (NCS) and the clubs and does not form part of FSLL revenue.
Magogo, however, stressed that the funding comes with responsibility.
“It is government money. Any lack of transparency and accountability will cost you,” he told the assembly, reminding clubs of their obligations around taxation and NSSF remittances.
He also challenged clubs to collect and use data more effectively as they seek support from government and the private sector.
“These numbers help us to make a compelling case for government and private sector funding of football,” Magogo said.
Building a stronger institution
FSLL Board chairman Dr Arinaitwe Rugyendo used his address to reflect on progress made in governance, administration, the sporting product and commercial development during the year.
He pointed to strengthened stakeholder relationships, improved Secretariat staffing and welfare, progress in club licensing and the deployment of an in-house lawyer as some of the developments recorded during the period.
But Rugyendo was also clear that the government allocation to the clubs does not resolve every need within the league structure.
“Since this money is going directly to the 18 clubs, we reiterate our appeal to the government to think about the ‘19th club’, which is the UPL Secretariat and UPL SACCO,” he said, adding that the appeal had been formally submitted to the Ministry of Education and Sports.
Rugyendo also pointed to commercial activity as an area where the league has begun to make progress.
“We have registered wins in the sales front,” he said, citing the government subvention and a prospective banking partner, while noting that the Secretariat had strengthened its commercial team with sports marketer Saddam Bulaga.
The chairman said Bulaga had already developed prospects involving a potential coffee partner, ministry, beverage company and beer company.
Secretariat looking ahead
For CEO Bernard Bainamani Bampaire, the AGM was an opportunity not only to report on the previous 12 months but also to identify what remains to be done.
In his message to delegates, Bainamani said the Secretariat had recorded several achievements while acknowledging that some of the targets set at the beginning of the reporting period remained works in progress.
“Some of the targets set at the beginning of the period remain works in progress, and we remain committed to achieving them in the coming 12 months.”
That provides a useful frame for the league’s next phase, particularly as it seeks to strengthen governance, business, media and communications and the sporting product – the three broad areas around which the Secretariat structured its annual report.
Growing the league’s commercial value
The AGM also highlighted the commercial potential of the UPL, with the league working towards a new banking partnership.
The 2027 budget projects annual sponsorship-fee allocations from StarTimes of approximately Shs3.091 billion.
That compares with Shs2.803 billion in income and Shs2.728 billion in expenditure recorded by FSLL in 2025, according to the audited financial statements presented to the AGM.
After an exchange loss, the company ended the year with a Shs62.7 million surplus.
The financial statements also showed Shs1.998 billion in sponsorship-fund distribution and Shs585.8 million in administrative expenditure.
Fans remain central
Fan engagement was another key theme. Magogo reiterated that fans remain at the heart of the league’s commercial model, with clubs that build stronger fan bases better positioned to enhance the value of broadcast and commercial rights.
The league’s 2025/26 communications report recorded approximately 230 million total reach across digital, broadcast and traditional media, alongside about 4,200 mentions and 1.6 million interactions.
A digital audit of the 16 clubs during the season also recorded more than 1.62 million combined followers across major platforms.
An expanded 2026/27 season
The AGM also comes as the UPL enters the season with 18 clubs following last season’s changes to the competition format.
The 2026/27 season will feature 306 fixtures across 34 matchdays, increasing the league’s competitive and commercial inventory while also bringing additional operational demands for clubs.
Club representatives used the AGM to raise a number of issues affecting their operations, including the cost of importing sporting equipment, medical insurance and consultation around new competition regulations, including the requirement for two Under-21 players to be on the pitch at all times.
Hoima’s football story
For hosts Kitara FC, the AGM provided an opportunity to highlight the growing relationship between football and the development of the Bunyoro region.
Club president Deo Kasozi noted the significant government investment in Hoima’s infrastructure and said Kitara had already contributed to the public purse through its operations at Hoima City Stadium.
“As Kitara, the government now owes us nothing,” Kasozi said, noting that the club had returned Shs120 million to the government through taxes and stadium-related operations from its matches at the venue.
The AGM closed with a clear focus on strengthening the league’s foundations – financially, commercially and institutionally – as the UPL enters an expanded season and Ugandan football prepares for the opportunities surrounding Afcon 2027.
For the league and its clubs, the task now is to turn increased support, a growing audience and a larger competition into sustainable value for the future.
