Education and Sports Minister Janet Kataaha Museveni is expected to meet Vipers Sports Club President Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa and FUFA President Moses Magogo this week in a high-level effort to defuse mounting tensions over the new Uganda Premier League (UPL) format.
The meeting comes in response to a formal petition from Vipers SC, which called on the Ministry of Education and Sports to intervene in what it described as an “unfair and poorly structured” competition.
According to ministry sources, State Minister for Sports Peter Ogwang and senior FUFA officials will also attend the mediation meeting aimed at resolving the impasse between the league organizers and one of Uganda’s top football clubs.
The standoff escalated after Vipers SC boycotted a league fixture, protesting against the newly introduced double-header format and adjusted scheduling. The club insists the changes were made without adequate consultation and compromise the integrity of the competition.
In a strongly worded letter dated October 2, Dr. Mulindwa accused FUFA and the UPL Secretariat of “disregarding the voices of participating clubs” and acting unilaterally in altering the league’s structure. The move sparked intense debate across Uganda’s football community, with calls for greater transparency and stakeholder engagement.
Officials at the ministry have expressed optimism that the upcoming meeting will help restore order and ensure the smooth continuation of the UPL season, which has been disrupted since the new format’s rollout.
While both FUFA and Vipers SC remain tight-lipped about possible resolutions, sources close to the discussions suggest that a review or temporary suspension of the new league format could be among the options on the table.
