Uganda anti-corruption agency investigates FUFA over alleged misuse of public funds

Uganda’s Inspectorate of Government (IGG) has launched an investigation into alleged mismanagement of public funds by officials of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA), demanding extensive financial and corporate records dating back to 2016.

The inquiry will examine the federation’s governance, management of public funds and assets, procurement procedures, commercial agreements and expenditure on football development projects.

In a document outlining the scope of the investigation, the IGG has directed FUFA to provide certified bank statements, audited financial reports, procurement records, property documents and agreements covering broadcasting and commercial rights.

The investigators are seeking records of the federation’s Executive Committee meetings, including agendas, minutes and resolutions, as well as its statutes and audited financial statements for each financial year from 2016 to date.

FUFA has also been asked to submit a comprehensive list of bank accounts operated by the federation and its associated entities, including closed accounts, with details of the banks, account numbers, currencies, authorised signatories and periods of operation.

Certified bank statements covering the period from July 2021 to August 2026 have also been requested.

Public funding and procurement under scrutiny

A major focus of the investigation is the receipt and use of public funds by FUFA.

The Inspectorate wants details of grants, subventions and other financial releases received from the National Council of Sports, the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, and other public institutions between July 2021 and August 2026.

The federation is expected to account for the amounts received, dates of payment, intended purposes and conditions attached to the funding.

Investigators have also requested expenditure returns, payment vouchers and supporting documents accepted by the relevant public institutions.

Financial reports and audited accounts submitted to the National Council of Sports under Section 22 of Uganda’s National Sports Act, 2023, are also required.

Procurement practices will form another part of the inquiry, with FUFA directed to produce its procurement rules and complete procurement files covering July 2021 to June 2026.

Kadiba Stadium project under investigation

The development of Kadiba Stadium is among the projects attracting particular attention from investigators.

The IGG has requested agreements, funding records, progress reports, audit reports and correspondence with FIFA, world football’s governing body, concerning the project.

FUFA must also provide a breakdown of the funds received for the stadium, the bank accounts into which the money was deposited and how the funds were spent.

Other documents sought include architectural designs, bills of quantities, contractor and consultant procurement records, signed contracts, payment certificates and site records.

Investigators also want details of the project engineer and supervising consultant, including their terms of engagement, alongside an assessment of the stadium’s current physical and financial status.

The federation is expected to explain any delays or failure to complete the works.

The investigation will also examine the ownership and transfer history of FUFA House in Mengo, including the resolutions authorising any transfers.

Documents relating to the title, construction and development agreements for the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru have also been requested.

The IGG is seeking the legal instruments governing FUFA’s occupation of the land at Kadiba, together with correspondence and resolutions concerning its acquisition.

Team accommodation and hospitality businesses examined

The cost of accommodating Uganda’s national football teams is another area of interest.

FUFA has been asked to provide a schedule of facilities used to house national teams during competitions, tournaments and training camps from January 2018 to date.

The records must include the dates of accommodation, rates charged, number of people accommodated, amounts paid and recipients of the payments.

Investigators have specifically requested the complete file relating to accommodation arrangements for the Uganda Cranes during the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

That includes records showing how the facility was identified, inspected, selected and approved, as well as the agreed rates, contracts, invoices and proof of payment.

The IGG is also seeking information about FUFA Hotel Kisaasi, including its proprietors, trading address, relationship with the federation and financial accounts.

Similar records have been requested for FUFA Hospitality and Travel Agency Ltd, covering its ownership, directors, constitution, bank accounts, financial statements and business activities.

FUFA-linked companies face financial checks

The investigation extends to companies and other legal entities owned or controlled by FUFA or its registered trustees.

The Inspectorate wants a complete register of these entities, including their registration details, ownership structures, directors, addresses and current status.

For each company, investigators are seeking incorporation documents, constitutions, registers of members and directors, annual returns, financial statements and certified bank statements covering July 2021 to August 2026.

The records are also expected to establish which FUFA Executive Committee or General Assembly resolutions authorised the creation of the entities, approved their shareholding structures and appointed their boards.

Investigators want details of dividends, management fees and other payments made by the companies to FUFA, alongside funds advanced by the federation and the accounting treatment of those transactions.

Scoreline Investments Ltd has been specifically named in the inquiry.

The IGG is seeking the company’s corporate history, authorising resolutions, ownership changes and business objectives, as well as a schedule of its assets.

These include land, buildings, bank accounts, contracts, sponsorship and broadcasting rights, and intellectual property.

Investigators also want documentation establishing whether the assets are held for FUFA’s benefit and clarification of the authority under which Scoreline Investments conducts commercial activities on behalf of the federation.

Broadcasting and commercial rights arrangements reviewed

FUFA’s commercial agreements, particularly those involving broadcasting rights, will also come under scrutiny.

The Inspectorate has requested the instrument through which commercial rights in FUFA competitions were transferred, assigned or licensed to FUFA Media Services Ltd.

The documents must include the resolution authorising the arrangement, the valuation used to determine the consideration and evidence of payment.

Investigators are seeking all agreements, licences, sub-licences and addenda relating to the broadcasting, streaming and commercial exploitation of FUFA competitions from January 2016 to date.

The contract file for Satellite Plus Systems (U) Limited is also required, including procurement and selection records, due diligence documents, the signed contract, variations, technical specifications, invoices and evidence of services delivered.

StarTimes deals and club payments investigated

The IGG has also targeted broadcasting and naming-rights arrangements involving StarTimes, Star DTV (Uganda) Co. Limited and associated companies in connection with the Uganda Premier League and FUFA Big League.

Investigators want copies of the agreements, renewals, side letters and variations, as well as the revenue-sharing formula and payment schedules.

The federation has been asked to provide resolutions approving the arrangements and documents showing consultations with clubs over the distribution of proceeds, which FUFA had publicly undertaken to hold.

The inquiry will also examine the authorisation under which StarTimes was directed or permitted to pay rights fees to FUFA Media Services Ltd rather than directly to the federation.

FUFA must provide a reconciliation of all amounts due and received under the agreements, identifying the recipients, the bank accounts into which payments were deposited and how the funds were subsequently used.

Investigators have further requested season-by-season records, from 2018/19 to date, showing the amounts distributed to each Uganda Premier League and FUFA Big League club, supported by proof of payment.

Deductions made from broadcasting rights fees before distribution will also be examined, including production costs, the basis for calculating the deductions, the recipients and supporting invoices.

The extensive list of documents sought indicates that the inquiry will trace the movement of money from public funding and commercial agreements through FUFA and its associated companies, examining how the funds were received, accounted for and distributed.

The document names Paul Alianu Ejangu, Fredrick Oketch, Milly Namuwanga and Jennifer Katusiime as Inspectorate of Government officials authorised to conduct the inquiries and collect information and certified documents.

The investigation centres on allegations of financial mismanagement. The document detailing the scope of the inquiry does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing by FUFA or any of the individuals or companies named.