The path to becoming Fufa president

KAMPALA.

Every Wednesday, save for a few alterations, Fufa hold their weekly media briefing to speak about issues in the beautiful game.

This week, Fufa House in the Kampala suburb of Mengo, will be used for a function that could be as important to the future of the game as naming players to the Uganda Cranes.

The Fufa Electoral Commission (EC) issued declaration letters after validating District Football Associations (DFA) delegates whose nomination has spun the recent past with elections.

This set in motion the election season that will climax with the election of the Fufa president on August 5, a process often sewn in secrecy that few in the general public can relate to it.

After the verification, the Sam Bakiika-led EC then releases a declaration list of candidates who contest in district polls. These are slated for today, Saturday, April 29.

Those who make it through will then pick their delegates at regional level next month.

All this will be done with everyone’s focus on the August poll. The long and short of this article is enlighten you, our reader, about the process works.

Who are the members of Fufa and who votes?
Previously, the Fufa general assembly comprised as many as 134 delegates. The 1998 voted between the - incumbent Twaha Kakaire and Uganda Cranes legend Denis Obua was 128 votes-heavy.
Obua polled 67 while Kakaire exited with 61. ‘Mr. Football’ would then win re-election in 2001 beating ex-Kibuli SS head Al Hajji Abbas Kaawaase Mukasa and Michael Okiror.

Obua was ousted in 2005 following government suspending the federation which ushered in the Lawrence Mulindwa eight-year reign ending 2013.

A lot has changed as per the rules since Mulindwa first took the reigns at Mengo. The delegates assembly has since been sliced to 86.

These will decide who leads Fufa at the body’s 92nd seating.
As detailed above, the district delegates do not go straight into the assembly. The ones they will pick at regional level are the ones who will travel to Masindi in four months’ time.
Fufa has eight regions - Buganda, Kitara, Western, Eastern, Northern, North East, West Nile and Kampala - with each region sending six representatives.

That brings the total number of regional delegates to 48. To that, all club chairmen of the teams in the topflight, the Azam Uganda Premier League, do sit in the assembly.

In all, they are 16. With three clubs set to be relegated before that election, the candidates, will already be lobbing newly promoted Masavu and Maroons.

Then, the next division, the Fufa Big League, send eight people to the elective meeting while the Fufa Women’s Elite League has two slots.

The rest of the delegates are chosen from Special Interest Groups (SIG) such as referees (3, one must be a women), Uganda Football Players‘ Association (2) and Beach soccer (2, one of whom is the Uganda Beach Soccer Association president).

Others will come from Uganda Coaches’ Association (2), the schools’ body (2) and women (2).

FUFA ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Chairman: Sam Bakiika
Vice Chairman: Yusuf Awuye
Secretary: Edgar Watson (FUFA CEO)
Members: Habib Aluma, James Okodi, John Gena Adupa, Micheal Igole, Julius Semanda, Geofrey Kintu and Stanley Kinene

KEY DATES IN ELECTORAL PROCESS
NOMINATION PROCESS
District (District Football Associations): 10th April – 20th April 2017
Regional (Regional Football Associations): 3rd May – 12th May 2017
National (Special Interest Groups): 26th May – 31st May 2017
FUFA Executive: 10th June – 22nd June 2017

DECLARATION OF CANDIDATES
District (District Football Associations): 26th April 2017
Regional (Regional Football Associations): 16th May 2017
National (Special Interest Groups): 2nd June 2017
FUFA Executive: 23rd June 2017

VOTING DATES
District (District Football Associations): 29th April 2017
Regional (Regional Football Associations): 18th May – 20th May 2017
National (Special Interest Groups): 5th June 2017
FUFA Executive and President: 5th August 2017

The incumbent, Moses Magogo did declare his intention to stand while the man he succeeded, Mulindwa, is reportedly going to stand having alluded to so during his daughters’ graduation party last Saturday at the St Mary’s Stadium in Kitende.
According to the Fufa statutes, not everyone can be president as the position is ring-fenced under some of the following rules among which is that the poll will be done through secret ballot.
*A Fufa president shall not be older than 70 and not younger than 30.
*To be able to stand for this position, one shall have football administrative experience of for a period of seven of the last 10 years preceding the election.
*A Resident of Uganda for two years preceding the election
*Candidates must have a minimum of Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) ie completed senior six.
*Only members of the Fufa assembly propose candidates and must be done in writing at least two months before polling day ie for this particular election, candidates must have submitted the prerequisite documents by June 5, 2017.
*EC must notify voters of the candidates at least one month before assembly ie this applies that delegates will be informed of the candidates by July 5, 2017.

MEMBERS OF FUFA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Regional Football Associations = 48
Azam Uganda Premier League chairmen = 16
Fufa Big League = 8
Fufa Women’s Elite League = 2
Uganda Football Referees’ Association = 2
Uganda Football Players’ Association = 2
Uganda Beach Soccer Association = 2
Uganda Women’s Football Association = 2
Uganda Football Coaches’ Association = 2
Uganda Schools’ Football Association = 2

NOMINATION FEES
Fufa President Shs3m
Fufa Executive Shs500, 000
Delegates of Special Interest Groups Shs200,000
National SIG Executive Committee Chairman Shs200,000
Member of National SIG Executive Committee Shs100,000
Delegate from Fufa Big League Shs200,000
Delegate from Fufa Women’s Elite League Shs200,000
Regional Football Associations (RFA) Executive Committee Chairman Shs300,000
Delegate from RFA Shs200,000
Member of RFA Executive Committee Shs100,000
SIG National Delegate Shs100,000
DFA Executive Committee Chairman Shs100,000
Delegate from DFA to the RFA Assembly Shs100,000
SIG Regional Delegate Shs50,000