The Federation of Uganda Football Associations faces a significant reduction in government funding after National Council of Sports changed how money will reach federations.
FUFA received an approved Shs19.18 billion government allocation through NCS during 2025/26, according to official Ministry of Finance budget estimates.
However, that arrangement has changed for 2026/27 after NCS ended the system under which specific amounts were ring-fenced for individual sports federations.
The new approach requires FUFA to present its programmes to NCS, which will determine allocations depending on government priorities and available resources.
Sports Torch reported on Thursday that FUFA could receive less than Shs10 billion, potentially cutting its previous government allocation by almost half.
CK Sports has not independently established FUFA’s final allocation, meaning the reported figure remains subject to confirmation from NCS and the federation.
What is confirmed is the policy change removing FUFA’s previously identifiable allocation from government’s sports funding structure.
Speaking during an NCS press briefing at Lugogo on July 20, General Secretary Bernard Patrick Ogwel confirmed that individual federations would no longer receive ring-fenced allocations.
Ogwel revealed that Shs43 billion was available to support national sports organisations, with half of that money already available at the time.
Government funding would also only reach organisations successfully registered under the National Sports Act, a requirement FUFA had already fulfilled.
FUFA was among 11 organisations fully registered alongside Uganda Athletics, FUBA, Netball Uganda and Uganda Boxing Federation, among others.
The significance of the funding change becomes clearer when compared with what FUFA received during the previous two financial years.
Government’s approved 2025/26 estimates provided Shs44.46 billion towards national sports associations and federations through NCS, with Shs19.18 billion specifically earmarked for FUFA.
That represented an increase from approximately Shs14.18 billion provided for football during the preceding financial year.
Under the new arrangement, FUFA no longer starts the financial year knowing a predetermined amount has been protected specifically for its programmes.
Instead, football must compete within the wider funding pool, potentially forcing FUFA to prioritise some national teams and programmes over others.
Kobs withdrawal offers early warning
The possible consequences became clearer this week when FUFA withdrew Uganda Kobs from the upcoming Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
Uganda were scheduled to face Ethiopia over two legs between September 20 and October 6, but withdrew before their campaign started.
FUFA directly linked the decision to government’s prioritisation of Uganda Cranes preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations during 2026/27.
The federation described the withdrawal as painful, particularly for players graduating from the Uganda Hippos U-20 development pathway.
It was not unprecedented either, with Uganda also withdrawing the Kobs from the 2023 U-23 Afcon qualifying campaign because of financial challenges.
The concern now extends to several other national teams with international assignments scheduled during the current financial year.
Uganda’s U-17 Cubs are preparing for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, while another Cubs side has regional Afcon qualifiers approaching.
The Hippos, Crested Cranes and Sand Cranes also have international programmes requiring financing, adding further pressure on FUFA’s available resources.
FUFA has acknowledged that discussions with government are continuing over participation of those teams and promised further communication concerning their respective programmes.
That leaves the federation balancing its development pathway against government’s immediate priority of preparing the Uganda Cranes for Afcon 2027.
UPL funding adds another dimension
The funding situation becomes more significant against government’s separate move towards directly supporting Uganda Premier League clubs during the current season.
UPL chairman Arinaitwe Rugyendo recently confirmed that approximately Shs5.5 billion is expected from government for 2026/27, largely targeting player welfare.
That funding is being pursued separately from FUFA’s traditional allocation, creating another route through which government money enters Ugandan football.
It creates an unusual situation where FUFA could receive reduced government support while top-flight clubs simultaneously benefit from significant direct assistance.
For FUFA, however, the removal of ring-fencing creates uncertainty over financing its broader programme of national teams and football development activities.
The final allocation will become clearer once NCS determines how much funding FUFA’s approved programmes will receive during the financial year.
However, the bigger change is already evident; FUFA can no longer depend upon the predetermined government allocation it enjoyed under the previous system.
With the Kobs already withdrawn, attention will now turn towards Uganda’s other national teams and whether funding will be available for their international assignments.