Members of Parliament have approved a motion for the Parliamentary Commission to sponsor the education of young motorsport participants, Ramathan Mubiru and Hellena Birungi, up to Senior Six.
Mubiru, a P7 pupil who competes in the MX65 category, and Birungi, a P4 pupil excelling in the MX50 category, recently represented Uganda in Morocco and won accolades, including Birungi being crowned the Junior Ladies Champion for Africa.
Speaker Anita Among, who led the motion, emphasized the need to support the athletes’ future beyond their sporting achievements.
“One thing we should do is let the Parliamentary Commission pay for these kids’ school fees,” she said, garnering overwhelming support from the House.
The gesture was lauded as a positive step in recognizing young athletes, but concerns over its long-term viability were raised by Mathias Mpuuga, MP for Nyendo-Mukungwe Division.
Mpuuga questioned the sustainability of such funding and sought clarity on the status and accessibility of sports scholarships in the country.
“The Commission on its own motion has elected that the House will sponsor these young people, that is a very good thing. The challenge is sustainability because we are raising expectations,” said Mpuuga.
He further tasked the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Education to explain the criteria for accessing sports scholarships and whether they still exist.
