When APR secured the signature of Uganda Cranes midfielder Taddeo Lwanga in 2023, it opened the door for more Ugandan talent to make the switch to the Rwandan giants.
In January 2025, two more Cranes stars joined the fold, forwards Denis Omedi and Hakim Kiwanuka, signed from Kitara FC and SC Villa respectively.
That Ugandan trio was short-lived, however. Just six months later, the number dropped to two as Lwanga’s contract ran out on June 30 and wasn’t renewed, bringing an end to his stint at the club.
But APR wasted no time restoring that Cranes core. Not even a month after Lwanga’s exit, the club has confirmed the signing of another Ugandan international, Ronald Ssekiganda, a midfielder who arrives from SC Villa on a three-year deal, keeping him at the club until at least the end of the 2027/28 season.
Ssekiganda’s move has been a long time coming. Talks linking him to APR date back to January, but the deal failed to materialize then.
Even during the current window, reports were conflicting, some claiming he had joined, others denying it. Now it’s official: Ssekiganda is an APR player.
The 29-year-old left the Uganda Cranes CHAN camp midway through preparations to finalize his transfer and was replaced in the squad by NEC’s Shamir Kimwero.
At APR, Ssekiganda links up with his Cranes teammates Omedi and Kiwanuka, the latter a familiar face from their time together at SC Villa.
He was a key figure in Villa’s 2023/24 Uganda Premier League title-winning campaign, helping end a 20-year drought for the Jogoos.
His leadership and presence in midfield earned him a permanent place in the Uganda Cranes setup, where he’s featured in both World Cup and AFCON qualifiers.
When Kenneth Ssemakula left Villa, Ssekiganda was named captain meaning that void will need yet another official replacement from the Jogoos.
Nicknamed the “Tall Ngolo Kanté”, Ssekiganda will don shirt number 19 at APR and will be hoping to hit the ground running, especially with AFCON 2025 coming up in December.
