Sports personalities, administrators and journos vie for political jobs

National Council of Sports (NCS) has 53 registered sports associations but the budget allocation for sports was recently increased to 26bn from 17bn with football taking the largest share of 10bn.

 Fufa president Moses Magogo who is carrying the NRM flag in the Budiope East MP race promises to act big on the sports envelop once he ascends to the August House.

 Magogo has for long advocated for an update in the ‘archaic’ 1964 sports that breeds ground to corruption and sports irregularities bedeviling Ugandan sport.  “As well as serving my people in Budiope, I want to get a stronger platform to fight for sports elevation in the country,” Magogo, also a Caf executive member revealed in a recent interview.

 Uganda Shooting Federation (USF) president Anna Mungoma is standing for the Manafwa district woman parliamentary seat.  Fufa executive members Rogers Byamukama (Masindi Municipality) and Ariga Rasoul (Aringa Central) are all standing.

Former Uganda Cranes skipper George Ssimwogerere has rolled up his sleeves to contest for Lukuli and Buziga LC5 Lord Councillor seat ostensibly to promote sports and talent.

 “I’m using my fame to get the mandate to help my people and also to fight for the disappearing sports facilities in Makindye division,” the former Express coach reveals.

 NTV, Galaxy FM and Daily Monitor sports reporter and analyst Denis West Bbosa, yours truly, is also in fray seeking to be the Lord Councilor for Makindye East III.

 Other renowned sports journalists like Stuart Kimera (Super FM), Yusuf Nampala (Simba FM), Sula Buyondo (Dembe FM), Francisco Bwambale (Record FM), Innocent Tegusulwa (Bukedde), Sharon Adong (Urban), Glenn Karamagi (UBC), Nsejjere Ssempijja (CBS), Robert Wasswa (Sapiensa) and Fufa FM’s Julius Bazeketta are also into the murky political waters seeking councilor positions.

Beyond Uganda
 Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former Mr. Olympia and governor of California left a recommendable trailblazer.

 The same can be said of Liberian president George Manneh Oppong Weah, a former World Footballer of the Year, Wladimir Klitschko, Ukrainian former heavyweight world champion boxer who was elected Mayor of Kyiv in 2014.

 Manny Pacquiao, once the best pound for pound boxer in the world, a Senator of the Philippines. Pakistani’s 1992 Cricket World Cup winning captain Imran Khan is now Prime Minister.
 Because sport tends to cut across all the cultural, social and religious divide, most sportsmen tend to ride on that notion.

Uganda’s political season has been on for months, for some even years.
Tomorrow, the first slice of the general election season starts with the Presidential and Parliamentary election.

 From administrators, to former sportsmen and media personalities in sport, many are vying for offices.
Former president Idi Amin Dada was a national light-heavyweight champion and rugby player.

Also, Aggrey Awori, an Olympian, was MP for Samia Bugwe and is vying for the elderly ticket.
 The current sports minister, Hamson Denis Obua, is MP for Ajuri County and is standing for re-elction.
Mbarara City president Mwine Mpaka, the Western Region Youth MP is vying for the Mbarara City South MP seat.

World champ in politics
Former world junior champion Julius Acon is MP for Otuke County, Katwe United president Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye East), Onduparaka patron Bernard Atik (Ayivu),  Amus FC’s Patrick Isiagi (Kacumbala) and former table tennis president Denis Galabuzi (Busiro North) want to retain their seats.
 Yet Sport still grapples with intermittent representation and meager slice on the ‘National Cake’.

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