Brothers defying size to represent Uganda

Brothers. Kaijuka well padded for goalkeeping duties with Baguma (c) playing for Wananchi in NHL. PHOTOS / ISMAIL KEZAALA & MAKHTUM Muziransa

What you need to know:

  • Baguma is of commendable height but lean. His older brother Richard Kaijuka is inches shorter but built his torso to make a dependable goalkeeper.

Ugandan midfielder Emmanuel Baguma has been asked by hockey coaches at Italian club Pistoia to build his strength.

Baguma is of commendable height but lean. His older brother Richard Kaijuka is inches shorter but built his torso to make a dependable goalkeeper.

What they lack in physique, they make up for in quick thinking, skillset, and fitness.

Baguma, having played with Ghanaian striker Johnny Botsio and against some Egyptians in Italy, will provide valuable insight into Uganda’s Pool B opponents at the January 17-23 Africa Cup in Accra. His versatility will make him one of the main assets but Kaijuka urges him to be more decisive.

Kaijuka is in competition to start in goal with Wananchi’s Bosco Ochan, who captained Uganda at the FIH Bi-Nation Series in Nairobi. The brothers were not in Nairobi. Kaijuka then had a tough season at City Lions before a disappointing end when he moved to Kampala Hockey Club (KHC) Stallions in September 2021.

He has, however, forced his name in Uganda’s squad ahead of Weatherhead’s league and Cup double winning keeper Charles Ekapolon.

Kaijuka, 25, is self critical but also hears it from his brother.

“He must get defenders listening to his commands and stop conceding soft goals,” Baguma says breaking into banter over the “countless” goals he has scored against Kaijuka, who insists they have been a few – mostly from penalties.

“After giving instructions, I turn to where the action is. Unfortunately, most defenders do not listen, especially to man-marking instructions,” Kaijuka rebuts.

Starting out

Grace Lamumu and Ben Kabagambe’s fourth and fifth of six children started playing hockey in 2004 when Agele, a boy from their neighbourhood, brought some sticks home. But they stopped when Agele’s family left Naguru in 2015 – only to resume in 2011 when some Whites started a hockey project.

At the time they were studying at St Jude Primary School, Naguru, and could have concentrated on any sport; football, cricket, rugby or athletics. They credit David ‘Kyimpi’ Onenchan and current Uganda Hockey Association publicity secretary Saddam Hussein for leading them to Lugogo.

With Kyimpi’s influence, they joined Wananchi in 2012 – Baguma as a striker and Kaijuka a midfielder.

“One day our goalkeeper (Alex ‘Kalailai’ Edema) didn’t turn up for a game and I decided to have a feel of playing in pads. When the game ended, people called for Kalailai to retire,” Kaijuka, a self-trained custodian, says.

In 2014, the brothers’ doors started to open with scholarships at Kakungulu Memorial as the school sought to regional dominance.

“We didn’t dominate because we were an individualistic team that didn’t realise it. But we have matured and will show that on the national team,” Baguma says.

The former Wananchi player moved to Italy came in 2020 while Kaijuka, who has not won a trophy since 2016, went first to Simba – now City Lions – in 2017 and KHC last year.

Dreams

Baguma has taken his winning mentality to Pistoia, who now lead the Italian second division and hope to advance to A1 after the winter break.

“Right now the focus is to complete school and play for 10 to 12 years,” Baguma, who left Uganda at the start of his Business Computing studies at Makerere University Business School, shares.

His opportunity in Italy came through national team head coach Francesco Richichi. Baguma admits that since the move, he feels the pressure to impress for both Uganda and Wananchi whenever he returns home.

“People expect Italian magic from us (including Colline Batusa, Timothy Ntumba and Ashiraf Tumwesigye). Italy has better facilities and opened my eyes to more tactics but hockey is the same everywhere.”

Kaijuka has ambitious dreams of representing Uganda at the Olympics, World Cup and All Africa Games too, while his mother has urged him “to enroll for a Civil Engineering at Lugogo Vocational School.”