On Saturday, the Uganda Sports Press Association (Uspa) elective assembly saw the controversial return of Sabiiti Muwanga as president and Patrick Kanyomozi as general secretary while Francisco Bwambale and Mubarak Kasule are the new organising secretary and treasurer respectively, writes DERRICK KIYONGA.
A total of 57 of 107 registered Uspa members participated in the election process last Saturday that brought in a new leadership. This followed a low turnout of members for their assembly and a decision of some others to abstain from the whole voting process.
However, that did not stop Muwanga and his team from accepting a new two-year term, although it is expected to be a bumpy one, considering the contentions raised about the whole process.
No sooner had the annual general meeting (AGM) started than Johnson Were, one of the contestants for the general secretary post, proposed that Article 14 (ii) of the Uspa constitution be suspended. It reads: The elective general assembly shall be held in October of the elective year.
This was seconded by Dennis Ssembatya, but probably in ignorance. The Uspa constitution does not provide for the suspension of any clauses or provisions. In fact, ordinarily, suspension of constitution provisions anywhere in the world is tantamount to breaching the entire document.
But some Uspa members went ahead, although not without contest. Stephen Ouma and Leon Ssenyange, who withdrew from contesting for the Uspa presidency on grounds that it was an illegal process that needed rectification, were left disappointed.
“As journalists, we cannot be seen breaking our own laws, yet tomorrow we are going to be expected to police sports federations,” Ssenyange said. In support, Ouma said: “We have put ourselves in a bad situation where this election can be challenged in court for the violations of the constitution we have allowed to happen.”
Ssenyange added that there was a need to put in place an interim committee to manage Uspa, as issues concerning the constitution are sorted out instead of conducting an illegal election. And that is probably a view a host of other members shared.
From the time Ssenyange and Ouma’s views were rejected, some sections of the Uspa family chose to walk out of the AGM. That is why 57 of the 78 members that attended the AGM actually voted.
Former Uspa president Jim Mugunga who, in part, agreed that holding elections in November was unconstitutional, also said that suspending voting would lead to another constitutional crisis. So, voting had to go ahead, as the beat of Uspa’s unending controversies continues to God knows where.
dkiyonga@observer.ug
