The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) has issued new Club Licensing Regulations aimed at aligning with the latest CAF Club Licensing Regulations and promoting transparency in club ownership in the country.
The new regulations, set to be implemented today, Friday, June 28th, will have a significant impact on the ownership and management of clubs in Uganda’s top-tier football league.
FUFA President Hon. Moses Magogo, while appearing on the Federation’s television channel on Thursday night, emphasised that the primary focus of the new regulations is to ensure that only “fit and proper” individuals or entities are allowed to own and operate football clubs in the country.
“Not everyone will be allowed to own a football club, there is going to be a ‘Fit and Proper’ test. Persons intending to own a club will be subjected to this test to verify their credibility,” Magogo stated.
The new regulations outline seven categories of club ownership, including natural persons, private ownership, public ownership by listed companies, private institutions, public institutions, ownership by trustees, and community club ownership.
Each club will be required to declare its ownership structure and obtain an ownership certificate from FUFA.
Magogo also highlighted several factors that could lead to a person or entity failing the “fit and proper” test, such as influencing another club, holding a significant interest, being prohibited by Ugandan law, having been involved in the winding up of two or more clubs, serving a FUFA, CAF, or FIFA ban, or any other reason deemed appropriate by FUFA.
He added that the regulations are aimed at ensuring transparency in club ownership.
“What is important is for us to appreciate what we want to achieve with this; transparency in ownership. We know who to deal with. Identifying who owns which club is going to be very important going forward,” Magogo said.
According to FUFA, the introduction of these regulations aligns with the principles of the FIFA Club Licensing System, which was implemented globally in 2006 to promote transparency and accountability in club football management.
The Federation’s move to revamp its club ownership regulations is seen as a step towards enhancing the governance and professionalism of the sport in Uganda.
It should be noted that earlier this week, FUFA President, together with Commitee Member Rogers Mulindwa and FUFA 1st Vice President Justus Mugisha held a meeting with Premier League club CEOs on Tuesday, June 25th, to discuss matters concerning the new regulations.
Discussions were held around the released Club Ownership Regulations 2024 and changes coming to the FUFA Club Licensing Regulations Edition 2024 in a meeting attended by 15 club CEOs or representatives of the country’s top-tier league clubs.
