No accountability but Fufa ask for more govt funding

Soccer body submit budget for Liberia trip at a time the country is still oblivious of proceeds from the Afcon qualifier between Uganda and Zambia.

KAMPALA

Five months on since Uganda crashed out of this year’s Nations Cup qualifiers to Zambia and the nation is yet to know proceeds from game.

And just about then, Fufa barefacedly front a new budget to government seeking financial support for the trip to Liberia for Cranes’ March 24 World Cup qualifier. “The truth is that we are in debts, most of which accumulated from the recent Cecafa,” said Rogers Mulindwa, the Fufa spokesperson, at a weekly brief at Mengo yesterday, “We are in debt of about Shs250m.”

Mulindwa, who did not disclose how much their budget to government is, added: “We have submitted our budget to government requesting for support for the trip to Liberia and we are hopeful. But Ugandans should know we shall do all it takes to take our team to Liberia.”

The fresh request makes a mockery of Fufa’s insistence that they are only answerable to Fifa, not government.
Asked by our reporter why Fufa were requesting for money from government when they had not accounted for proceeds from the Uganda-Zambia match – a norm after every home international match, Mulindwa was dismissive.

“Some people are using this as a cover,” he said, “But let us not allow it to distract us from this important match in Liberia.” Both Fufa CEO Edgar Watson and Mulindwa last year told Daily Monitor the vice-president finance, Anthony Kimuli, was away in the United Kingdom, the reason the federation would not present accountability for the game. Kimuli is still out of the country. “I will crosscheck with finance,” offered Mulindwa yesterday, “I will first crosscheck and get the facts right.”

Fufa charged Shs40,000 for general stands for Uganda-Zambia, which had some thousands of empty seats, Shs75,000 for VIP and Shs120,000 for gold tickets, which were both full to capacity. The Afcon qualifier between Uganda and Kenya on October 8, 2011 grossed the highest returns ever at Shs1b.

Meanwhile, Bobby has claimed poor communication between him and some players when it comes to club activities was to blame for the latest standoff that has seen free agent Tonny Mawejje, who withdrew for unfitness, summoned despite not playing for the last four months.

The decision put on the prism Bobby and his technical team’s competence, albeit, the Scot refusing to blame them, saying “they looked at Tonny’s experience to call him.”

amwanguhya@ug.nationmedia.com