Musinguzi offers URA team assurances

New era. Musinguzi (C) hands over kits to URA chairman James Kizza (L) and coach Sam Ssimbwa. Photo | Courtesy

What you need to know:

  •  From Coffee, Simba, Maroons, Police and KCCA, many of them have been successful and are etched in record books as former league winners.
  • Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) are no exception having won the league four times since inception in 1997.

Uganda’s club football history is littered with the success of several teams founded by government institutions.

 From Coffee, Simba, Maroons, Police and KCCA, many of them have been successful and are etched in record books as former league winners.
Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) are no exception having won the league four times since inception in 1997.

But as witnessed over the years, the existence and success of those teams often depends on the interest of the leaders of those institutions at a given time.

Consequently, the news of the visit of URA Commissioner-General John Musinguzi Rujoki to the club’s training facility at Hormisdallen School in Gayaza last Friday was welcomed with obvious glee by members of the team’s management.

Donning the team’s white jersey and dark blue tracksuit bottom, Musinguzi did not disappoint as he gave assurances about support from the mother body.
“I’d like to pledge our total support to the club and despite the Covid-19 challenges the organisation will fully support you in any way that we can for us to survive,” he said.

Taking club forward
Musinguzi said he welcomed ideas for development with a sustainable football programme and the need for the club to have a permanent home.

“I want to assure you that we will share together this dream of taking this club to another level and we will do everything within our means of achieving the club’s dreams,” he said.

“I appreciate the club for using the game to disseminate tax messages and for cultivating partnerships to create tax awareness. If I may borrow the words of Nelson Mandela, sport has the power to change the world.”

The club’s most successful period is between 2006 and 2011 when they won all their four league titles to-date when Allen Kagina was commissioner-general.
With priorities changing during the last decade as the authority built a new home in Nakawa, there was talk of scrapping the football team before the new facility was completed.

The picture appears to have changed both on and off the pitch after the completion of the Nakawa facility with the club currently second and among only five unbeaten sides in the 16-team Uganda Premier League.