Okee vs. not one, not two…
Incumbent Dusman Okee (L) and Dipu Ruparelia are battling for the FMU precidency
KAMPALA- Elections, however small or big, even at family level can be a tense and draining affair regardless of the cohesion amongst the voters.
Honestly, motorsport should be free from deeply-rooted contests after all the competitors only come willingly then spend and spend and even spend some more.
With no prize money and negligible benefits for leaders of the Federation of Motorsport Clubs of Uganda (FMU), they should have the most hygienic brand of politics.
Far from all that, FMU will have a frosty elective General Assembly at Kati Kati Restaurant, Lugogo today with current president Dusman Okee seeking to win another four-year term.
Stability
In 2016, Okee beat FMU founding president Jack Wavamunno by just one vote in an election whose wounds have not healed and could become septic. Okee’s trump card is convincing government to back the sport more. Over the past week, he hosted the State Minister for Sports Hamson Denis Obua and Uganda Tourism Board executive director Lillian Ajarova.
“We have convinced the government and President Yoweri Museveni to help and fund the sport from next year and he has agreed,” the often swift-spoken Okee says.
Adding that; “The government will be handling our main stream budget the way they do to Fufa. We are going to do away with grants. This will help us run our programs well.”
“We need to toughen on safety in all our events. We will continue with support of our officials to get more training here and abroad. I appeal to voters that I am still the best candidate.”
One-term Jack
Wavamunno accuses Okee of lip service promising more than he can actually deliver because words slide off the latter’s tongue with so much ease. He was president from 2001 to 2005 and was part of the group that wrestled control from Automobile Association of Uganda (AAU) as drivers revolted against the latter.
He was again president from 2014 to 2016. In 2016, Wavamuno was fronting a rebuild of the sport, structures, and comradeship in the federation. “I am personally not coming back to prove anything to anybody. The sport is in disarray and the present custodians have derailed it,” Wavamunno cautions.
“All we want is to get them out and groom a new team. This team can definitely no longer be entrusted with the keys. That’s the main reason. And I will only serve one term. Strictly.”
No racism
The feud between the aforementioned pair is not all the 87 delegates have to contend as accusations of ‘racism’ have been heard though far from verified. These have surfaced against the candidature of former driver Dipu Ruperalia, a Ugandan of Indian origin, whose manifesto is as impressive as any. “I want to bring equity, equality, and transparency. We must focus on empowering the clubs, drivers, and officials to build sanity in the sport,” Ruperalia says. “My focus will be on sponsorship as well as to amend the constitution to favourable and realistic regulations that work for all stakeholders.”
Big dreamer
Viewed as an outsider, Geoffrey Nsamba, also an ex-driver has big dreams for FMU. Never far from controversy, Nsamba is promising to build an FMU office.
“We have to upgrade the federation to a corporate status because when we become a legal entity, we shall attract more corporate companies to support our activities,” Nsamba explains.
On the campaign itself, Nsamba has a perfect answer. “It’s been a long section of a race, with a few kilometres to the flying finish and as we seek to win it, the voters mandate should be premised on the candidate with ideal issues for motorsport and where motorsport should be in the next four years. I am here to serve motorsport for the interest of drivers, fans and officials.” A lawyer, Nsamba has been in sports administration having worked under the legal committee of the local football governing body (Fufa) and currently is the legal representative for Uganda Motorsport Marshals Club (UMMC).
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE
75 votes from 15 clubs represented by five delegates each
5 – Senate members
7- Management committee members
Total 87 votes
