Kampala, Uganda: Only sports federations and associations that fully comply with the National Sports Act will qualify for government funding through the National Council of Sports (NCS) beginning in the 2026/27 financial year.
The announcement was made on Monday by NCS General Secretary Dr Patrick Bernard Ogwel, who revealed that only 11 National Sports Organisations have successfully completed registration under the new legal framework and will therefore be eligible for government grants, official recognition and participation in NCS programmes.
The reforms stem from the National Sports Act, enacted in August 2023, with Section 7 taking effect in March this year, making registration under the new law mandatory for all national sports organisations.
The fully compliant organisations are Netball Uganda, Pool Association of Uganda, Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA), Uganda Dance Sport Federation, Badminton Uganda, Uganda Athletics, Uganda Chess Federation, Uganda Table Tennis Association, Uganda Tennis Association, Uganda Boxing Federation and the Federation of Uganda Basketball Associations (FUBA).
Each organisation has received a certificate of registration valid for one year, subject to annual renewal.
Seven organisations were found to be substantially compliant and will receive certificates after further verification. They are the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of Uganda, Uganda Woodball Federation, Uganda Squash Rackets Association, Uganda Golf Union, Kabaddi Federation of Uganda, Uganda Aquatics and Uganda Rugby.
Meanwhile, 14 federations have been granted a final one-month period to address significant compliance gaps. They include the Uganda Volleyball Federation, Uganda Cycling Association, Uganda Handball Federation, Uganda Hockey Association, Uganda Judo Association, Uganda Ludo Federation, Uganda Skating Association, Uganda Climbing, Uganda Zurkhaneh Association, American Football Federation of Uganda, Uganda Archery, Uganda Baseball and Softball Association, and Uganda Gymnastics Federation.
NCS warned that organisations failing to comply within the stipulated period will have their Certificates of Recognition revoked under the National Sports Act and the National Sports Regulations, 2025.
Four organisations, Uganda Wrestling Federation, Uganda Taekwondo Federation, Scrabble Association of Uganda and Uganda Fencing Association, failed to submit any registration documents before the June 7 deadline. NCS has already initiated proceedings to revoke their recognition.
Dr Ogwel also confirmed that the previous practice of ring-fencing government funding for specific federations has been discontinued.
NCS has been allocated Shs43 billion for the 2026/27 financial year, with half of the funds already available. Going forward, allocations will be determined by compliance with the law rather than automatic entitlement.
The council further disclosed that it received 20 public objections concerning eight sports organisations, citing governance disputes, questions over leadership legitimacy, financial accountability, constitutional compliance and national representation.
Following hearings, Uganda Boxing Federation and Uganda Table Tennis Association satisfied the legal requirements and were cleared for registration. Cricket Uganda and the Uganda Draughts Federation are still resolving outstanding issues before their compliance windows expire later this month and in August.
NCS also revealed that investigations found the Uganda Dragon Boat Federation and Uganda Canoe Kayak Federation had submitted falsified audited financial statements on two separate occasions.
The two organisations will be given an opportunity to explain the discrepancies. Should their explanations prove unsatisfactory, NCS says it will reject their registration applications, revoke their Certificates of Recognition and may pursue civil or criminal action.
According to the council, the registration exercise is intended to strengthen governance, accountability, transparency and institutional integrity across Uganda’s sports sector.
Athletes whose federations fail to comply may still access support through alternative arrangements involving the Uganda Olympic Committee or the Uganda Paralympic Committee. However, their federations will remain ineligible for NCS funding and official recognition until they satisfy the legal requirements.
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