Express Football Club are set to unveil Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka as their new Patron during the official launch of Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo, as the club’s new home ground on August 16, 2024.
The announcement was made by the club’s CEO, Miiro Ashraf Nsubuga, during a press conference on Wednesday, August 8.
“We are trying to bring back people who support this club. On that day, we shall officially unveil our new Patron, Kiryowa Kiwanuka,” Nsubuga said.
Kiwanuka is the grandson of Jolly Joe Kiwanuka, one of the club’s founders, and served as the club’s chairman from August 2018.
Under his leadership, as chairman, Express won the 2020/21 Uganda Premier League title; their first in nearly a decade.
However, since Kiryowa Kiwanuka’s appointment as Attorney General in June 2021, the club has struggled to maintain its previous success and has gradually slipped back into mediocrity.
His return now as Patron is seen as a significant step in revitalising the club that’s rich in history.
Express was founded in 1957 and is the oldest existing football club in Uganda. The club’s history is deeply rooted with that of Nakivubo Stadium, having played there before shifting to Wankulukuku in 1991.
Nsubuga emphasized that the transition from Mutesa II Stadium, Wankulukuku, to Hamz Stadium is not just a change of venue, but marks the beginning of a new era for Express.
“As we promised, the revolution has started,” he declared.
He added that the move to Nakivubo was driven by the desire to bring the club closer to its fans, many of whom are based around Kampala’s city center.
“Since Wankulukuku is distant, and we have many fans around the city center, we said that let’s come to where the fans can easily access the club,” he explained.
Apart from officially unveiling Kiwanuka as the new club patron, the launch event on August 16 will feature several activities, starting with a friendly match between SC Villa and Express fans at 4 pm.
Later, there will be an international friendly at 7 pm between Express and Kenyan giants AFC Leopards.
The club CEO also highlighted the pivotal role played by former Express chairperson Godfrey Kirumira in securing Hamz Stadium as the club’s new home.
Kirumira, who led Express during its glory days, was instrumental in negotiating the club’s move to Nakivubo, because his close friendship with the stadium’s proprietor, Hajji Hamis Kiggundu.
“We acquired this stadium through the efforts of Chairman Kirumira, and on top of that, we’ve made a partnership with this stadium,” Nsubuga revealed.
He noted that Kiggundu, who recently declared himself a fan of Express FC, has shown strong support for the club.
“Hajji, the proprietor of this stadium, is now a fan of Express. He pronounced himself a week back. So that means we’re not here for a try, but we’re here to stay.”
Regarding the team’s training arrangements, Nsubuga confirmed that Express will conduct all its home game training sessions at Hamz Stadium, while away game preparations will take place in Kanyanya.
“We shall be having our entire training sessions for home games here and the away training sessions in Kanyanya,” he said.
During the press conference, Rogers Mulindwa, the board chairman of Hamz Stadium, confirmed that Express, along with URA, has been granted permission to host its home games at the stadium.
“We would like to inform you that Express is here with our permission,” Mulindwa said, revealing that seven Uganda Premier League teams had expressed interest in using the stadium, but only Express and URA were selected.
Mulindwa cited Express’ historic attachment to Nakivubo as the reason for its selection and assured that the stadium’s management is committed to supporting the club’s growth.
“Our interest is to help the clubs prosper both technically and financially. We want to see the clubs growing in terms of how they play, but also in terms of income. We shall do our part to ensure that the clubs enjoy their stay,” he concluded.
