Africa-Press – Uganda. Andrew Bakiza has made his opening move, and it is anything but cautious. The 50-year-old engineer with a background in telecoms, government reform and corporate leadership is the new president of the Uganda Chess Federation, a position reaffirmed during the federation’s swearing-in ceremony held at Kati Kati Restaurant on Friday, December 19, 2025, alongside his executive committee.
Bakiza’s message is clear and confident, almost like a calculated gambit: strong management, strong funding and strong players.
His résumé reads more like a boardroom profile than a traditional sports dossier. He has worked with MTN Uganda, Airtel, Liquid Telecom and Zain, contributed to government digitisation under a World Bank project, and chaired the Ease of Doing Business Committee under the Presidential CEO’s Forum for eight years.
Now, he says, it is time to apply corporate discipline to an intellectual sport he believes has suffered from weak systems for far too long.
“At its core, chess is an intellectual sport,” Bakiza said. “I have been in rooms where players were architects, lawyers and engineers, many with master’s degrees. These are people with serious potential who just need structure, welfare and opportunity.”
Bakiza takes office at a sensitive moment for the federation, which has in recent years faced internal friction and is still working towards full certification by the National Council of Sports (NCS). His leadership approach, he insists, will be calm but firm.
“I believe in reconciliation, but guided by rules,” he said. “As president, I represent everyone. No grudges. Strong management means transparency, discipline and accountability for all.”
One of his immediate goals is upgrading chess from a Tier Four to a Tier Three federation under the new Sports Act, a shift that would unlock increased government funding.
The major requirement, however, is expanded grassroots reach.
Bakiza plans to decentralise chess administration by strengthening regional associations in Western, Northern, Eastern and Central Uganda. While these structures already exist, he says they have been largely ineffective.
Under his plan, regions will receive equipment such as boards and clocks, funding will be allocated proportionally, and associations will be required to present clear district-level development plans with proper reporting.
“Chess has been too centralised,” he said. “Yet talent is everywhere, including in the informal sector. We must reach the last mile.”
Schools are central to his expansion strategy. Bakiza says he is engaging corporate partners to sponsor school chess programmes and has already held discussions with banks including Centenary and Citibank.
His argument is straightforward: credible governance attracts serious support.
Bakiza is also raising expectations for players. He has pledged to increase international prize money fivefold and has floated the ambitious idea of awarding a car annually to Uganda’s best-performing chess player.
Visibility is another priority. He believes digital chess boards connected to the internet could turn tournaments into spectator-friendly events, similar to football broadcasts.
His long-term vision includes deploying up to 1,000 digital boards nationwide.
Perhaps his boldest promise is securing a permanent home for Ugandan chess by July next year, ending years of reliance on rented hotel spaces.
“I am ready to be held accountable,” Bakiza said.
Bakiza won the federation presidency in a three-way contest by 14 votes, succeeding Mwaka Emmanuel. For Uganda’s chess community, the game is now firmly underway.
Whether Bakiza’s corporate-style gambit ends in checkmate or stalemate may become clear well before 2026.
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