The Secretary General of Uganda’s National Council of Sports Dr. Patrick B. Ogwel and the president of Uganda Netball Federation Babirye Kityo Sarah are up in arms throwing tantrums imbibed with innuendos of corruption to each other.

Video: Babirye Kityo Sarah narrating her predicament to NBS television.

The order of government administration of sports by is done through National Council of Sports, thus all government budgetary allocations for the various recognized sports federations are channeled through Uganda National Council of Sports, which in turn, disburses it to respective federations headed by their presidents who are the accounting officers.

When the last accounting period started, the president of Uganda Netball Federation Babirye Kityo Sarah declined to give the accountability, accusing the Secretary General of NCS Dr. Patrick B. Ogwel of demanding of her to account for 225,000,000/= UGX for the She Cranes expenses to Namibia, yet only 186,000,000/= UGX was disbursed to her.

On a live telecast on one of the local TVs, Babirye claims that the Secretary General wrote to her a letter asking her to account for 225,000,000/= instead of 186,000,000/= disbursed.

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The Secretary General is also accusing Babirye for having misappriated the She Cranes Namibian funds because, he claims, Namibian government paid for the team’s accommodation expenses.

Just this week, Ugandan president castigated parliament that they are spending a lot of money on travels abroad on bench marking expeditions which don’t impact on the country’s service delivery.

However economic analysts put the blame on the president himself who deliberately created unnecessary gerrymandering that resulted in a bloated parliament of 529 for a country of 45m people!

What Is The Mandate Of National Council Of Sports?

National Council of Sports (NCS) is a statutory organ whose establishment, status and powers are enshrined under The NCS Act of 1964, to among other things; Develop, Promote and Control sports activities in Uganda on behalf of Government, under the Ministry of Education and Sports. The NCS which is linked to the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) and other relevant sports organizations serves as an apex organization that coordinates all sports activities in the country, in conjunction with National Sports Associations/Federations. The NCS mandate among others include;

1. Develop and promote all forms of sport on national basis, in conjunction with voluntary amateur sports bodies, and also providing training and the required staff.

2. Encourage and facilitate cooperation among the various national sports associations.

3. Approve international and national sports competitions and festivals organized by national and other associations.

4. Organize, in conjunction with the nation associations, national and International competitions and festivals as a means of gaining experience and fostering friendly relations with other nations, and other activities as may be approved by the minister.

5. Stimulate interest in sports at all levels.

6. Plan the general policy of sports promotion.

7. Award, in consultation with the national associations, medals, diplomas, certificates and other incentives for the encouragement and promotion of sporting activities.

8. Sponsor scholarships for the training of coaches and organizers.

9. Advise the Minister of Sports regarding external relations in the field of sports

10. Arrange with local authorities for the provision of sporting facilities at all local levels and to inculcate a high level of sportsmanship and discipline.

11. Approve expenditure of national associations in receipt of grants made or through the Council and to audit the accounts of such associations.