KAMPALA – Legislators on Tuesday reconsidered the National Sports Bill, incorporating several amendments – including the introduction of archery in place of kickboxing – a move that depicts the directives of President Yoweri Museveni.
The National Sports Bill, initially tabled for First Reading on November 10, 2022, was passed by the House on March 2, 2023. However, the President declined to approve it – suggesting a number of amendments –including the disowning of kickboxing as a sport.
Moses Magogo – Budiope East County representative, who doubles as the Football governing body – Fufa supremo moved the Private Member’s Bill.
While presenting the report by the Committee on Education and Sports on June 27, during plenary, the committee chairperson, John Twesigye, acknowledged the President’s proposal to introduce archery, a sport recognised under the Olympics family.
Simultaneously, kickboxing was removed from the list of recognised sports in the country because it’s not listed on the National Council of Sports – NCS menu.
“The committee recommends that archery sports discipline be added as proposed by the President since it is recognised by the National Council of Sports,” the parliamentary official website quotes Twesigye as saying.
It should be recalled how comical Moses Golola rose to fame through kickboxing – single-handedly promoting the sport in the country and beyond its borders – attracting attention from all corners.
On Tuesday the House also adopted the proposal by the President to amend section 32 (2) for members of the board of the National Council of Sports.
According to the new amendments; the council shall have a board of seven members which shall be the Governing Board of the council consisting of a chairperson and six members.
This shall include; a representative from the Ministry responsible for Sports; two representatives from any two Traditional Regions of Uganda; a representative of the national sports associations or the national sports federations; a representative of the Athletes; a representative of the Private Sector; and a person with experience in sports administration.
Additionally, a member of the Board referred to in subsection (2) shall be a person with knowledge and experience in Sports Administration. The minister shall appoint the members of the board.
The House, however, declined to delete clause 75 as recommended by the committee, which provides that the land on which the public sports facilities are established and the public sports facilities thereon shall vest in the Council.
The President had proposed that there was need to make provision for the Schedule of the Sports facilities that will vest in the Council specifying the location, acreage and current registered proprietors of the sports facilities. He stated that the procedure for vesting the property in the council should also be provided.
The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, tasked the committee chairperson to explain the proposal to delete the clause, and yet the clause protects sporting land and facilities in Uganda.
Twesigye said that the committee’s biggest worry was that the sports facilities were already taken over by the National Council of Sports and it would bring about numerous court battles.
Following the guidance from the Speaker, and legal advice from the Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, the House resolved to leave the clause in a bid to protect the land and property of the sports facilities as the House unanimously adopted the committee report – approving the amendments.