Ugandan football has been thrust into uncomfortable scrutiny following a startling confession from former referee Davis Wanyama, who has openly admitted to receiving illicit payments during his officiating career in the FUFA Big League.
Speaking candidly on NBS Sport’s Emboozi Teba Nkadde, Wanyama peeled back the curtain on a culture that threatens the very fabric of fair competition. His revelations paint a troubling portrait of attempted influence, post-match hostility, and systemic vulnerability within the second tier of Ugandan football.
Wanyama recounted a particularly tense episode from the 2024/25 Big League season, where match officials were handed money by a home side in a clear attempt to sway proceedings. However, in a twist that underscores both irony and danger, the referees proceeded to officiate impartially, only for the bribing team to suffer defeat.
What followed, according to Wanyama, was a descent into chaos.
Despite upholding fairness, the officials were confronted and threatened by aggrieved home supporters, who demanded the return of their money. The situation escalated to the extent that the referees were effectively held within the stadium precincts in Iganga until late evening, long after the final whistle had blown.
“We had to remain inside until around 8pm,” Wanyama revealed, describing an atmosphere thick with hostility and intimidation. “They were furious because they had lost, yet they had already given us money.”
The former referee also shed light on another brazen bribery attempt during a high-stakes Masaza Cup fixture between Gomba and Ssingo. In a moment that underscores the audacity of such practices, Wanyama disclosed that an individual approached match officials in the most unlikely of settings.
While in the restroom, the refereeing team was reportedly offered a staggering UGX 7 million to manipulate the outcome, specifically, to ensure Gomba lost the contest.
“We went to the toilet to relieve ourselves, and someone from Gomba found us there and tried to offer a bribe of UGX 7 million for Gomba to lose the game against Ssingo.”
The clandestine nature of the approach, coupled with the significant sum involved, illustrates the lengths to which some actors are willing to go to influence results.
These disclosures arrive at a sensitive juncture for Ugandan football, with Federation of Uganda Football Associations already grappling with ongoing cases of match manipulation. Several individuals have been sanctioned in recent months, signaling a growing effort to confront integrity breaches within the sport.
Wanyama’s testimony, however, introduces a new dimension, one that not only implicates attempted corruption but also highlights the peril faced by officials who resist it.
Whether FUFA will initiate formal investigations or disciplinary measures in response to these revelations remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that the integrity of the game faces a renewed test, and the spotlight is now firmly fixed on how decisively authorities will respond.
