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Netball Uganda officials with Dr Joshi Manoj afer an agreement on a partnership
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Sports Desk
The woes at Netball Uganda (NU) persist, with the federation still struggling due to a lack of government funding that has been withheld for over three years. The troubles date back to 2021, when Sarah Babirye, then president-elect, rose to the helm of the sport after unseating the long-serving Susan Anek, who chose not to contest.
Joseline Ucanda, the Netball Uganda president
Babirye’s victory was emphatic, defeating Jocelyn Ucanda—Anek’s longtime national team manager—with 184 votes to 41, while Christine Nampijja managed only five.
To many Ugandans, the win marked the beginning of a fresh era to revamp netball into a vibrant and competitive sport spread across the country, rather than remaining concentrated in the central region. Babirye’s manifesto raised hopes within the fraternity. However, her reign quickly collapsed following allegations of corruption and misuse of office. She was dragged into court battles and detentions, forcing government intervention.
The National Council of Sports (NCS) revoked the federation’s license, halted government funding, and a normalisation committee was installed, initially led by Moses Mwase under the watch of World Netball President Dame Liz Nicholl DBE.
The committee accomplished its tasks, including drafting a new constitution and organising elections, which culminated in October 2024 with Jocelyn Ucanda elected as president. The federation was also rebranded from Uganda Netball Federation (UNF) to Netball Uganda (NU).
In December 2024, World Netball officially reinstated Uganda, with Nicholl personally commending the progress.
Former UNF president Sarah Babirye Kityo
Ucanda inherits a dry federation
But the return came with no financial relief. Ucanda took over a federation still cut off from government funding. "It is becoming so hard for us to operate normally because we have no money. The issues that caused the withdrawal of our license forced us to start afresh. We have written several letters to the relevant authorities, but the response has always been the same: wait," Ucanda explained.
She added that the absence of funding has made it difficult to sustain domestic competitions and international engagements, with executive members digging into their personal pockets to keep the sport alive.
"We are very much challenged because activities of the national team and the league are being funded by individuals in the executive. I am begging the President of the Republic of Uganda to come to our rescue," Ucanda pleaded.
Tough road ahead
Currently, the She Cranes are regrouping for the Celtic Cup in Scotland (November 26–30) without a clear budget. This comes on top of preparations for the Netball World Cup 2027 in Sydney, Australia (July 26–August 6), which will require significant and timely funding.
Last month, NU appointed Dr. Manoj Joshi, a UK-based Ugandan-Indian pharmacist and philanthropist, as Director for International Partnerships and Sponsorships. His role is to help expand the sport’s global reach. However, Ucanda insists that without government financial backing, such partnerships cannot deliver their full potential.
