Misagga gives SC Villa legal ultimatum over Mandela leadership

Former SC Villa president Ben Misagga has issued a warning to Gerald Ssendaula, the club board chairman, claiming that the club has broken its own rules and national football laws regarding the disputed presidency of Hajji Omar Ahmed Mandela.

According to Misagga, Mandela’s four-year term as president of the club officially ended on November 13, 2025. The notice says that there is no valid document, publication, or minutes from the Villa Members Trust (VMT) or club congress that allows an extension of his term.

So, Ssendaula is accused of continuing to recognise Mandela as the sitting president and doing official club business with him. The notice calls this “illegal,” “inconsistent with governing laws,” and “a total act of abuse of office.”

Misagga, a VMT member, has made a list of demands through his lawyer, Ibrahim Kasiko. Ssendaula has been asked to stop all presidential business with Mandela right away and to give a full transparency package.

This includes all of the minutes from meetings, attendance records, and tools that would support his continued authority and his dealings with the former president. He must also officially tell the right people that the presidency is open in order to start the election process.

The demands include a full financial and operational audit of the club’s recent history. Ssendaula is also asked to share all of the club’s inventory, accounts, and records of activities from Mandela’s entire term.

He is also told to give a full account of the money received from the Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) and to share detailed membership lists for both the club and the VMT since 2021.

He must also provide proof of the current CEO and president’s membership status, as well as a verified list of the Board of Trustees. The most important thing is to send in any document that extends Mandela’s term, along with minutes that back it up, or an official statement that no such authorisation exists.

Efforts to reach out to Ssendaula were futile as his known number did not go through. Misagga says that if these demands aren’t met within 14 days, legal action will be taken right away.

According to the lawyers for Misagga, their client is “determined to institute proceedings against [Ssendaula] for abuse of office and false accounting,” going after everyone involved in what they call “the illegalities tarnishing the reputation of the club.”

The notice, which is also sent to the minister of Education and Sports, the permanent secretary, and the president of Fufa, among others, signals a high-stakes showdown that could change the way Uganda’s most successful football club is run and led.