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Sports Desk
Uganda’s renowned female football enthusiast Jean Namayega Sseninde has been appointed Interim Executive Director (ED) of the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA). Sseninde, a celebrated advocate for women’s football in Uganda, assumes the high-profile regional role following the suspension of Kenya’s Auka John Gecheo in September.
Jean Sseninde played for QPR
Gecheo was suspended on September 23, 2025, after an Executive Committee meeting chaired by Acting CECAFA President Alexander Muyenge.
A statement from CECAFA released on Wednesday evening confirmed the appointment of Uganda’s fast-rising women’s football development expert. “CECAFA wishes to inform member associations and all stakeholders that Ms. Jean Sseninde has been appointed by CAF as Interim Executive Director,” the statement read.
SUSPENDED: Auka John Gecheo
Who is Jean Sseninde?
Jean Namayega Sseninde is a humble yet passionate Ugandan football enthusiast, widely admired for her dedication to developing women’s football both on and off the field. Her modest personality often conceals her impressive career achievements in the sport she has served as both player and administrator.
Born on December 4, 1992, in Wakiso District, Sseninde is the daughter of former State Minister for Primary Education and former Wakiso Woman MP Rosemary Sseninde, and Zephaniah Kizza Kikoba Walube Sseninde.
She attended Gayaza Primary School before joining Gayaza High School, where she completed her UCE, and later transferred to St. Mary’s Boarding Secondary School, Kitende, for her A-Level (UACE) studies.
After completing S.6, Sseninde pursued her lifelong dream of playing football at a professional level. Guided by Majidah Nantanda, then head coach of the Crested Cranes, she was encouraged to join a professional club in England. With the support of her parents and the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA), Sseninde moved to the United Kingdom. Her first professional stint was with Queens Park Rangers (QPR), where she played for three seasons before moving to Charlton Athletic and later London Phoenix Ladies FC.
Between 2016 and 2018, she represented Uganda’s senior women’s national team, the Crested Cranes, playing as a midfielder in the CECAFA Women’s Championship before retiring from active football. Upon returning home, Sseninde continued to contribute to the growth of women’s football through various initiatives and capacity-building programs at regional, continental, and international levels.
Jean Sseninde with former Crested Cranes Coach Majida Nantanda. Nantanda was coach when Sseninde featured for Crested Cranes in 2016
The 32-year-old is a member of Common Goal, an international movement whose members donate at least one percent of their annual income to charitable causes.
She is also the founder of the Jean Sseninde Foundation, which organizes the annual Jean Sseninde Women’s Football Development Tournament — a platform for discovering and mentoring female football talent in Uganda.
Sseninde with a CECAFA official
In 2020, Sseninde was hired by the South Sudan Football Association as a consultant to promote girls’ football. During the same period, she also served on the CAF Women’s Football Committee.
A year later, in 2021, she established Jean Sseninde United, a community-based football initiative in Kasangati, Wakiso, that promotes women’s and girls’ football development.
She has since been instrumental in match coordination for CECAFA and CAF competitions, earning a strong reputation for professionalism and commitment. Sseninde’s appointment as Interim CECAFA Executive Director marks yet another milestone in her inspiring journey.
Married to Mr. Bukenya, Sseninde maintains a private family life. After tying the knot in December 2024, she shared a heartfelt post on X (formerly Twitter): “Such an honour to get married. Praise God, I get to spend forever with my best friend and husband.”
Sseninde on her wedding
Uganda takes pride in Jean Sseninde’s remarkable rise through the football ranks — a true testament to passion, resilience, and leadership in women’s football.
Torch Media Africa
