A fresh storm is brewing at Uganda’s record football champions, SC Villa, after two club members formally petitioned the National Council of Sports (Uganda) seeking urgent arbitration over what they describe as an irregular and undemocratic administration of the club. Through their lawyers, Erisata & Erisata Advocates, Meywa Farouq and L.B.M Joseph Muguluma Mbazzi have appealed to NCS General Secretary Bernard Patrick Ogwel, arguing that their previous attempts to seek intervention from the Federation of Uganda Football Associations have gone unanswered.
In a letter dated March 13, 2026, the duo accuse the current SC Villa leadership of running the club in what they term an “unprofessional, oppressive and undemocratic manner” since 2021. They claim the administration’s mandate expired in August 2025 but officials allegedly refused to vacate office, instead suspending the club statutes and extending their tenure indefinitely without approval from members.
The petition further alleges that for the past five years the club leadership has neither convened an Annual General Meeting nor presented audited financial statements to members, raising concerns about transparency and accountability at one of Uganda’s most historic football institutions. According to the complainants, several appeals to the Federation of Uganda Football Associations—as provided for under Article 66 of the 2025 statutes—have failed to yield any meaningful response.
Tensions escalated in February 2026 when the club administration unveiled a roadmap for fresh elections but reportedly set a nomination fee of UGX 100 million for presidential candidates. The petitioners argue that the amount is prohibitive and effectively blocks many members from contesting the presidency. They also raised concerns over the choice of East High School as the venue for meetings and nominations, claiming it compromises neutrality.
The controversy deepened further when the incumbent president, Hajji Omar Ahmed Mandela Hussein, was ultimately declared the sole candidate and confirmed as president of SC Villa for the next five-year term. With their grievances unresolved, the petitioners are now urging the National Council of Sports (Uganda) to intervene and guide an arbitration process to restore order at the club, as tensions continue to simmer within one of Uganda’s most decorated football institutions.
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