The Federation of Uganda Football Associations has introduced sweeping new financial controls for Uganda Premier League clubs in what could become one of the most significant governance reforms in the domestic game in recent years.
Under the amended Men’s Club Licensing Regulations for the 2026/27 season, all player and coach salaries, including sign-on fees, must now be paid through bank transfers directly from official club accounts.
FUFA has also ordered clubs to submit verified proof of payment four times during the season.
The changes are designed to address a long-standing problem in Ugandan football, delayed salaries, undocumented payments and contractual disputes between clubs and players.
FUFA said club owners must now sign legally binding guarantees committing themselves to paying players and coaches in full by the end of the season. The federation added that owners who fail to honour those obligations risk becoming ineligible to own clubs in future.
The reforms mark a major shift in a league where many transactions have historically been handled informally through cash payments, making disputes difficult to verify and enforce.
Several Ugandan clubs have faced accusations over unpaid salaries in recent years, while players have regularly complained about wage delays and broken promises.
FUFA’s new rules also introduce sporting sanctions. Clubs with overdue payables or missing payment records at the start of a transfer window will be barred from registering new players.
That approach mirrors measures already used in more established leagues, where transfer bans are commonly imposed on clubs with financial breaches.
