According to reports from PitchSide by Peter Tabu, the First Lady and Minister of Education & Sports, Janet Kataha Museveni, is soon expected to meet with Vipers Sports Club led by club president Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa to discuss the club’s concerns over the controversial new Uganda Premier League (UPL) format.
The meeting, which is also expected to be attended by State Minister for Sports Hon. Peter Ogwang and likely officials from FUFA, follows a formal letter filed by Vipers to the Ministry of Education and Sports and other football stakeholders.
Uganda Premier League champions Vipers SC earlier announced that they will not take part in the newly introduced 2025/26 UPL format, citing lack of consultation, financial risks, and disregard for club concerns.
In a strongly worded letter dated October 2 to the FUFA Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Mulindwa accused the local football governing body of disrespect and blackmail, saying the club’s repeated petitions had been ignored despite prior engagements in August and September.
As a result, the Kitende-based club vowed not to honour their scheduled double-header fixture against Kitara FC on October 4 at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, or participate in any matches under the new system until FUFA formally addresses their concerns.
The new UPL format for the 2025/26 season has been branded as faster, fiercer, and fairer.”
It introduces a three-round system designed to increase competitiveness and excitement in the league.
The first round is a one-leg format, followed by a home-and-away second round where teams are split into two groups, the top and bottom eight.
The final round will involve one-leg encounters for the championship and relegation battles, with the top six from the second round’s Group 1 forming a new Group 3 to contest for the title, while the bottom six from Group 2 form Group 4 to determine positions 11 to 16.
While FUFA insists the format is aimed at modernizing and improving the domestic league, Vipers SC and several football stakeholders have voiced concerns that it was imposed without proper stakeholder consultation, adding that it could disrupt financial planning and strain club logistics.
The anticipated meeting with Hon. Janet Museveni could be a turning point in the ongoing standoff.
With both sides standing firm, the football fraternity now watches closely as the country’s sports leadership steps in to mediate a dispute that could reshape the future of Ugandan football.
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