Written By | Alex Mbamanya
Speaker Tayebwa and MP Rukaari take a photo wit some of the Mbarara City marathon partcipants
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MBARARA
Police in Mbarara have today arrested Dickens Friday Kaka of Gaga Athletics Association for breaching guidelines issued by the local athletics governing body, Uganda Athletics, prior to organising the Mbarara City Marathon.
Uganda Athletics had asked Kaka not to organise the event today on grounds of runner safety and other obligations he had failed to comply with, as guided by the federation.
However, the event went ahead on Saturday morning under wet conditions, even without police deployment, which demonstrated direct disobedience of the federation’s rules and regulations, as well as a breach of Uganda’s sports laws.
Kaka's self clearance letter
Mbarara City Police Commander, SP Kenneth Gumisiriza Kabwigo, confirmed Kaka’s arrest and said he will be charged in accordance with the law.
“We have arrested him for breaching the guidelines issued by the local athletics governing body. Despite being advised, he refused to comply and went on to organise the run on public roads without police deployment or involvement. This amounts to holding an unlawful assembly, and we are going to charge him accordingly,” SP Gumisiriza said.
Uganda Athletics Assistant General Secretary, Apollo Musherure, said Kaka had been warned not to proceed with organising the event before complying with the guidelines, which he failed to follow.
“We are not sabotaging the event, but aiming to ensure it is properly organised and managed in accordance with regulations. The first edition last year was highly unprofessional, with athletes not receiving their promised prizes. Worse still, we asked him to organise the event on Sunday or any other day, not on the day we are holding elections, but he declined. We also advised him to involve the district athletics committee for technical guidance, but he did not,” Musherure said.
“When we wrote to him stopping the event, he misled the public with a letter clearing himself and labelled the federation opportunistic. We will testify against him using the sports law.”
Mbarara City Sports Officer, Cleopas Musinguzi, said he had played his role in guiding the organisers, but his advice was not heeded. 
Uganda Athletics warning letter
According to a letter dated 26/03/2027, written to Gaga Athletics Association Limited and signed by Uganda Athletics General Secretary Beatrice Ayikoru, with a copy to the Rwizi Regional Police Commander, the organisers were accused of insisting on holding the event on Saturday instead of Sunday, and of making arrangements without guidance from the local athletics body, the Mbarara City Athletics Association.
Dickens Kaka
Kaka landed in trouble after declaring the event would proceed and issuing a letter clearing it, in which he described those opposing him as opportunists.
This was the second edition of the event, following the first held in March last year, where the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, served as the chief runner.
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