Hats off to Vipers, the future of Ugandan football belongs to them

You can question so many things about Lawrence Mulindwa. But his business acumen should never be one of them. His achievements are plain to see that I will save you the overviews.
And I think we can all agree that he did not grow his empire by being lucky. He did that by working his networks.
And the latest fruits to bear was last week’s announcement of yet another corporate sponsorship package to his Vipers, this time from DFCU Bank.
It is a clever choice for a bride, as well, seeing that after swallowing Crane Bank whole, they are the freshest arrival at the table of big men.
As far as marriages of ambitions go, that is a strong message to send out.
But it isn’t the first or only sponsorship on the market. In fact, Vipers is just one of about half a dozen clubs, who have sizeable corporate sponsorship.
What we can comfortably say though, is that they have in their laps the fattest package.
But not even that is not as interesting as finding out how Lawrence Mulindwa does it.
To start with, if the commercial decisions of sponsors are based on numbers and vintage, then it is KCCA or Express and not Vipers, that we would be discussing here.
KCCA has been making all the right noises and I believe they are going places. But it is amazing what Vipers has done without having to draw on the institutional strength of a government body or the 60-year heritage of Express.

Business empire
It has been instead nurtured on one part, by access to football power and on the other, the opportunities that lie in the man’s wider business empire.
We can say that the agility in a sole proprietorship and the business mindset in its DNA, are in fact advantages here, but that is detail.
The fact remains, we are discussing Vipers because it takes vision to see and milk the opportunities that came its way.
It is the closest we have to a football outfit run as a business with value to offer in a market full off synergy opportunity.
No wonder sponsors are lining up to associate with Vipers.
They are, a brand that promises mutual benefit.
For example, even if I can’t confirm the reasons that brought in DFCU, I can only imagine what holding the Kitende school fees account, rumoured to be Shs18b per annum, would mean to their bottom line!
The lesson to football clubs here is that they must figure out how to convert their numbers into a market for corporate sponsors.
Most clubs have been slow to move but ours is a market of followers and it will take business visionaries like Lawrence Mulindwa to point out the way.
Yes. It gives his Vipers a head start, but if all of football attempts to catch-up, the net effect will be widespread growth and the professionalisation that our game needs desperately. That is a good thing. No?

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MBanturaki