Aligawesa, Nagenda just another clash of big egos

“Recently when we (sports associations’ heads) met the State Minister for Sports Charles Bakkabulindi, there was general consensus that the post of General Secretary be occupied by someone picked by all of us,” reveals Nagenda who clearly wants Aligawesa kicked out of NCS.

And word reaching this reporter is that Hon Bakkabulindi has finally delegated the Sports Commissioner Dan Tamwesigire, to mediate between the two warring parties. But if you can read between the lines and see from behind the scenes, there is more to what meets the eye in this big clash of egos that is characterised by a lot of finger pointing and name calling.

Tamwesigire has his work cut out and hopefully will end the fracas immediately so that there is enough energy left in both officials to help prepare teams for the Davis Cup and Commonwealth Games. With exciting talents like Duncan Mugabe, tennis is on the way up and no one wants it back in its death throes.

Similar cases with Aligawesa

NCS was initiated by an Act of Parliament in June 1964 after sport was looked at as a way of raising newly independent Uganda’s profile on the international scene. Rev. Polycarp Kakooza (RIP) was the first general secretary of NCS and through to highly respected Abbey Kits Lutaya, the institution has its primary objective as sports development.

But things haven’t been rosy for some associations. From Uganda Amateur Boxing Federation (Uabf) through to Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) and down to the minnow associations like Uganda Hockey Association (UHA) and Uganda Table Tennis Association (UTTA), all have felt the mighty pinch of NCS. Boxing has produced three world champions for Uganda but it’s baffling that the current Uabf president Godfrey ‘Amooti’ Nyakana doesn’t see eye to eye with Aligawesa.

Nyakana’s price is having tried to question the eligibility of Aligawesa as NCS General Secretary. News doing the rounds is that the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) doesn’t recognise Uabf anymore is more disturbing.

His powers might dictate that he intervenes whenever everything goes amiss in sport, but it was an unfortunate scene that Mr. Aligawesa was at the center of controversy when Kabale Fufa delegate Godfrey Kwizera attempted to challenge incumbent Lawrence Mulindwa for the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) presidency recently.

Aligawesa acted first and opened a can of worms on Kwizera accusing him of having sold one of the Cranes buses while still a Fufa vice president administration in the Denis Obua regime. The claims saw Kwizera sent to the Old Kampala cells. Aligawesa was recently cited as one of the main people that were trying to sell Nakivubo stadiums to investors.

UHA, too, have never been on the same page with NCS. Former UTTA boss Emmanuel Matsyetsye was also rubbed the wrong way by Aligawesa. Matsyetsye was told to account for misuse of the game’s funds after he travelled to Japan for an international meet without the team. And instead of providing answers for his bizarre actions, he claimed that Aligawesa didn’t like him because they weren’t of the same tribe.

In his early days in office, Aligawesa was in a mass war with UAF in 2005. Reason? He tried to interfere with elections. Key people of the fraternity recall that he was siding with Makerere University lecturer Elijah Mushemeza against Dan Tamwesigire for the president’s post. But it was a losing battle then.

Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) have mainly enjoyed a good relationship with the NCS chief but fingers have once in a while been pointed. NCS has rented out the oval for entertainment side shows but only an abysmal percentage has trickled down to UCA’s confines. For the ULTA, it’s only the beginning of the battle. But how long with this escalate; my guess is as good as yours!

indawula@gmail.com