Kampala– Three members of Sports Club Villa have formally petitioned the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) seeking urgent intervention in what they describe as irregularities and disputes surrounding the club’s upcoming elections.
In a letter dated March 7, 2026 and addressed to FUFA President Moses Magogo and FUFA Chief Executive Officer Edgar Watson Suubi, the members — Dennis Ssebuggwawo Mbidde, Joseph Muguluma Mbazzi, and Meywa Farouq — appealed for arbitration to resolve ongoing internal conflicts within the club.
The petition, filed through Erisata & Erisata Advocates, alleges that the current leadership at SC Villa has been managing the club in an “unprofessional, oppressive and undemocratic manner” since 2021. The members claim that the officials’ term expired in August 2025 but they have refused to vacate office, instead suspending the club statutes and extending their tenure indefinitely.
According to the letter, the club leadership has allegedly failed to convene an Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the past five years and has not provided audited financial statements to members during that period.
The petitioners further accuse a section of the leadership, particularly prominent club figure Omar Ahmed Mandela, of dominating decision-making and treating the club as personal property without following democratic procedures stipulated in both FUFA and SC Villa statutes.
The members also challenged the proposed roadmap for the club’s elections, arguing that it was developed without consultation with the majority of members and therefore contravenes the FUFA Electoral Code.
Another major concern raised in the petition is the nomination fee for candidates seeking elective positions within the club. The petitioners claim the fee has been raised to UGX 100 million, far above the UGX 2 million stipulated under the 2021 Villa Electoral Guidelines, a move they say unfairly discriminates against members on economic grounds.
The letter also questions the decision to use East High Secondary School as the venue for election-related meetings, noting that it is owned by Mandela, which they argue compromises neutrality.
The dispute reportedly escalated on March 1, 2026, during a meeting at the same venue when one of the petitioners, Dennis Ssebuggwawo Mbidde, allegedly faced verbal and physical assault after attempting to attend the meeting. The matter has since been reported to the police.
In their appeal, the members asked FUFA to immediately arbitrate the dispute before elections are conducted, investigate alleged mismanagement within the club, suspend the planned elections, and temporarily take charge of the electoral process.
They also requested that nomination deposits be paid directly to a FUFA bank account to ensure neutrality and transparency.
Copies of the petition were also sent to the SC Villa Trustees, the Villa Electoral Commission, the National Council of Sports, and the Inspectorate of Government, as well as the media.
The petition places fresh pressure on FUFA to intervene in the leadership dispute at SC Villa, one of Uganda’s most historic football clubs.
