Bright Stars, Mbale Heroes earned their drop

They didn’t just fall - they sunk, slowly, painfully, and inevitably. 

Soltilo Bright Stars and Mbale Heroes, now officially relegated from the StarTimes Uganda Premier League, did little to prove they belonged at the table of men. 

With just 16 and 10 points respectively from 27 matches, the writing wasn’t just on the wall - it was carved in stone from the season’s kickoff.

In truth, both sides shared more than just abysmal form. They shared a crippling lack of goals, shaky leadership, and the same pitiful trajectory that saw them spiral towards the Fufa Big League.

Even Wakiso Giants - on life support with 20 points - finds itself in that same leaky, wallowing boat, drifting dangerously toward the abyss if they don’t pull off a miracle finish.

Dim Stars

Bright Stars, once steady survivors of 11 straight topflight campaigns, fell apart almost immediately.

Winless in their opening six matches, they stumbled from one defeat to another - losing their coach Joseph Mutyaba, their spark, and eventually their fight. 

The goals dried up (just 16 scored all season), and even their talisman Nelson Senkatuka couldn’t salvage them — managing a paltry four goals, a far cry from the 13 he netted last season. 

Cracks in the team widened as reported unpaid wages, fading sponsorship from Soltilo, and a revolving door of managers exposed the rot beneath the surface.

Heroes no more

Meanwhile, Mbale Heroes were simply out of their depth — with 11 goals scored and 49 conceded, their relegation last week came as no surprise. 

And if Wakiso Giants’ 1-0 home loss to a coachless Mbarara City on Tuesday is anything to go by, they could soon be the third wheel in this fallen trio. 

That defeat, courtesy of a Peter Onzima dagger, echoed like a funeral bell through Wakisha Stadium - the sound of a once-vibrant club sliding into oblivion.

Their owner, Musa ‘Atagenda’ Ssebulime, captured the mood with resigned clarity on X: “We weren’t so good. We need to re-strategize, rebuild and revamp! Football doesn’t stop at the top tier. God’s timing is the best. Forever purple.”

He is right. But poetic acceptance won’t erase the fact that Wakiso, like Bright Stars and Mbale, lost their identity, their ambition, and their edge. They didn’t just get relegated. They earned it.

StarTimes Uganda Premier League

Results
Wakiso Giants 0-1 Mbarara
Maroons  1- 0 Police
UPDF 1-0 Soltilo Bright Stars
Lugazi 0-1 URA
Express 1-0 Kitara