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Nabadda receives her award
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Sports Desk
International referee Shamilah Nabadda, aka Keko, has spoken out about her latest achievement as she continues to raise the bar in her football refereeing career.
Nabadda was voted CAF Best Female Referee of the Year 2025 and received the award at the continental football governing body’s CAF Awards on Tuesday in Rabat.
Going on her social media handles and other platforms after receiving the award, Nabadda hailed the support from the local football governing body FUFA, the referees’ fraternity, and her family for enabling her to reach this level.
"Thank you to the CAF Awards Committee for this incredible honour. I'm grateful to the CAF Referees Committee for their guidance, support, and opportunities. To the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA), I appreciate your unwavering backing. To my fellow referees, coaches, and my family, I'm proud to share this award with each of you."
"And to everyone who has supported me on this journey, thank you for believing in me. I'm humbled to be Woman Referee of the Year 2025, and I dedicate this award to everyone out there rooting for me, praying, and silently recommending me. I thank you all," she said.
Who is Nabadda?
The third born of six children to Quraish Mutagubya and Mastula Birungi of Katete, Mbarara City, Nabadda was born and raised in Mbarara, in the western region of Uganda.
She attended primary school in Mbarara before joining Masaka SS, where she completed her UACE in 2015 after having played for the Masaka SS girls’ football team as a left-back for all her years there.
She then joined Western United WFC, which she helped lift to the semifinal stage of the league format at the time, as well as playing for the Bishop Stuart University (BSU) women’s university team as she pursued her bachelor's degree in journalism.
She attracted the attention of then–referees instructor Abbas Sendyowa (RIP), who was a FUFA delegate for Mbarara and a close family friend. He recommended Nabadda for a short refereeing course at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru.
In 2018, she attended and attained her FIFA badge before getting her first international assignment for the African Women's Championship qualifier between Banyana Banyana and Lesotho in the same year.
From here, Nabadda’s rise continued both locally and internationally as she was handed high-stakes Uganda Premier League games and international championships.
In 2022, she was selected by CAF among the 40 match officials who officiated at the 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, before being selected again for the 2023 African Women's Champions League in Côte d'Ivoire between November 5 and 19.
Last year, Nabadda was appointed as one of the 21 referees, 42 assistant referees, 20 video officials, and six support referees from 45 countries, making a total of 89 officials for the Paris Olympics.
The Games had ten officials from Africa, and the 30-year-old was the only one from Uganda—making her the first Ugandan female to officiate at the Olympic Games and the second Ugandan ever after Ali Tomusange, who officiated at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Her most recent appointment was at the 2025 Pamoja African Nations Championship (CHAN), hosted in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
1995: Born in Mbarara to Mastula Birungi and Quraish Mutagubya
2009: Started playing football in secondary school
2014: Joined Western United FC in Mbarara
2015: Completed Senior Six at Masaka SS
2015: Took a refereeing course at the FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru
2016: Started active refereeing, beginning with secondary school competitions
2016: Attained FUFA badge and officiated her first match between KCCA FC and Masavu FC
2018: Attained FIFA badge; officiated first international match (South Africa vs Lesotho, AWCON qualifier)
2019: Completed a bachelor's degree in journalism at Bishop Stuart University (BSU), Mbarara
2022: Officiated at WAFCON in Morocco
2023: Officiated at African Women's Champions League in Côte d'Ivoire
2024: Officiated at the Paris Olympics
2025: Officiated at African Nations Championship (CHAN)
2025: Voted CAF Female Referee of the Year in November
