Rugyendo set to extend tenure to 13 years as UPL clubs elect board

Arinaitwe Rugyendo is set to extend his stay at the helm of Fufa Super League Limited for another four years as no candidate expressed interest in challenging his chairmanship.

Fufa Electoral Committee set out the roadmap and guidelines for the exercise, which started on August 28 and will end on Saturday when the body, FSLL, conducts its 10th annual general assembly at the Esella Country Hotel in Kira.

The Fufa Super League Limited (FSLL) is the Legal entity owned by the StarTimes Uganda Premier League Clubs as ordinary shareholders.

Fufa is a special shareholder with outlined veto powers without voting rights.

By the close of nominations on August 30, only five candidates had expressed interest in the available posts for the board of directors.

They include current chairman Arinaitwe Deo Rugyendo and his deputy David Sserebe Bunnya.

The others are sitting members Humphrey Mandu and Fred Kawuma, and Martin Ssekajja, who is replacing Peter Kibazo.

Mandu is the second deputy chief executive officer at Fufa.

Ssekajja is a former KCCA chairman, while Kibazo was recently appointed a board member at the club representing the fans.

Besides Ssekajja, the rest have been in office since 2015.

Each applicant was required to pay shs400,000 for nomination, present a nomination letter duly signed by the UPL club President or Chairman and ceo, national identification documents, a certified copy of academic qualifications, a CV and two recent passport-size photos.

According to Uganda Premier League chief executive officer Bernard Bainamani, the clubs will vote for the chairman and his vice from the set as the rest automatically remain as members.

“The board is composed of five members and we only received five applications, so,” Bainamani says before explaining that “what happens is the clubs will vote for the chairman and his vice. Otherwise, if there were more than five members, the first round would require the voters to vote for the five first, then go for a second round to get the two.”

Rugyendo is expected to retain his post as chairman and Sserebe his deputy as the other three remain board members. Fufa Electoral Committee will oversee the process.

FSLL board electoral roadmap

August 21 - Issue notice of elections

August 23 – Issuance of election guidelines by Fufa Electoral Commission (EC)

August 28 -30 - Nominations and submission of nominees

August 31 – Submission of the list to special shareholders

August 1 to September 4 - Vetting of nominees

September 5 - The list of vetted nominees returned to the UPL Secretariat and communicated to the clubs

September 12 - Declaration of candidature by Fufa EC

September 12 - Fufa EC returns the final list of nominated candidates to the UPL Secretariat

September 13 - The final list of nominated candidates communicated

September 23 - Election board of members by the Clubs

Outgoing board

Chairman - Arinaitwe Rugyendo 

Vice Chairman - David Sserebe Bunnya

Members - Humphrey Mandu, Fred Kawuma & Peter Kibazo

Incoming board

Arinaitwe Rugyendo, David Sserebe Bunnya, Humphrey Mandu, Fred Kawuma & Martin Ssekajja