Africa-Press – Uganda. Since 2018 when Fufa stopped Villa elections and you decided to step aside, what is your role in football?
Football is not a company that employs me. Football is just a passion for me. I stand for football wherever it is. I have not changed to any other sport. My love is football. It is true I am a member of the Uganda Golf Club but that is my second passion.
Returning from Zambia in 2015, what plans did you have for Villa?
I was requested by then sports minister Charles Bakkabulindi and Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa when they met me in Ndola during the Uganda Cranes Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Zambia in 2014.They urged me to return to be part of the football development in Uganda. They were concerned with the status of SC Villa which they said was sinking. I agreed since I had been involved somehow by giving the club jerseys, boots and some money for the coaches. I returned with one major focus of reviving Villa’s glory.The same fans I had left 10 years ago were still the same. We lacked fresh faces. It looked like we had stalled. I wanted to find a community to which we could belong. That is why we later shifted to Masaka where we did exceedingly well by recruiting the likes of Bro Augustine Mugabo, Kirumira [the owner of Total Highway in Masaka Town], Peter Senkungu, John Mary Kasozi, Mugalula, Henry Mulinde and the rest.This was a new crop of fans. At the time, we started the revival of Fans Clubs in Mbale, Soroti, Iganga, Jinja, Kampala, Masaka, and Fort Portal. We also brought musicians to the games as a strategy for fans to rub shoulders with the celebs. We had musicians like King Saha, Desire Luzinda, Eddy Kenzo, Mathias Walukagga and Mary Bata.We also embarked on branding Villa by bringing in replica jerseys. I considered it a shame to see fans putting on Premier League clubs’ fans at our league games.I found Villa in a deep hole of debts, lack of players and a home ground. Virtually, there was nothing. Even the bus I had acquired in 2006 was rotting away in a garage in Ndeeba. Resuscitating the club to the continental level was not a mean feat.You find that at the beginning of each season, we had to spend at least Shs300m on player recruitment. In mid-season, we could use between Shs150-170m. We were trying everything to lift the standards of the club because we were contenders.We even won the Uganda Cup in the 2014/15 season and played in the Caf Confederation Cup after many years. The next plan was to acquire the club’s home base for stability. We had spotted land in Gayaza and Masaka. The executive was still studying the options. Gayaza was preferred as a catchment area for fans in the city and those from Luweero and Mukono districts.The Catholic Church had already agreed to a 15-year lease for our planned stadium. In Masaka, we had agreed to rehabilitate Masaka Recreation Centre as the home ground with Bishop Sacrament Kimaanya for training. The challenge was that they had agreed on a 10-year-lease. Unfortunately, we were denied the opportunity because we were blocked from standing for the second term.
Why were you blocked?
There are some people that could not stand our achievements. We were using not less than Shs1bn a season. Apart from the sponsorship from StarTimes, who were giving us Shs220m and money from Azam TV broadcast, I mobilised the rest. People started questioning the source of our money. Those envious individuals created divisions within the club. Some were actually supported by Fufa officials. The fans, too, were divided. I had bought the players, but some were getting allegiance from another person. The federation had infiltrated the team promising players to be summoned to the national team if they disobeyed me.You can imagine a senior player like Emmanuel Okwi fighting on the pitch to be sent off with three games to lift the trophy. We only found it later that the situation was being influenced by the federation and those that call themselves founding members. They still believed no one else could manage Villa without them. When we wanted to renew our mandate, they fought us. But what have they achieved? Secondly, our staff of about 40 people was happy. But people did not believe it was me doing all this. Maybe they wanted me to beg. How could I wait at someone’s office for money to run the club? I could not because I had willing people that were driving the club forward.
Since you were barred in 2018, the club is under interim control. How do you see Villa now?
All I can say is that Villa is no more. The Villa you see if for (Fufa president Moses) Magogo. Whatever he wants happens. He talks of the congress but in my term we had a congress and a functional executive. When we proposed Shs10m for presidential candidates, they dismissed it. They said it did not make sense yet they have brought it back.Villa’s tradition is to have a rich man. Since I started supporting Villa during the days of Patrick Kawooya, we used to have a rich man at the helm. As tradition, we are a buying club. We only search for the best quality.Villa is traditionally like Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea or Manchester City not Barcelona or Arsenal. Villa, like Express, only polished players. You need a vibrant leader not someone who is passive to run Villa. Football must have banter to enjoy the game.
You tend to say that Villa is run by Fufa. How?
Most of the people in Fufa call themselves Villa fans. But they are pretenders. Where were they during the four years I was in charge? At least they would have paid for membership. What were they before?The federation has transgressed from its initial role of regulating football to managing clubs. If this trend continues, football will be no more. Clubs are not a national team. They claim to be streamlining the club’s ownership. But when you ask about the ownership of Express, KCCA, Bul, or any other club, they have no answers simply because they were envious of me.
To what extent are your differences with Magogo personal?
The Fufa president stepped into issues he barely understands. When I stood for president in my first term, Magogo was not Fufa president. But those people that did not believe in my plans, especially Omar Mandela and Franco Mugabe, are the biggest problem to the club. Now because Magogo believes in those two, they changed him. They [Mandela and Mugabe] believe no one can run Villa without them. That is why you see them pretending to be the trustees of Villa. Villa’s problem is about those two people who call themselves owners.
Did Mandela and Mugabe interfere with your work as Villa president?
Yes. They used to operate in the shadows using fans such as Hassan Kirunda, Ndawula, Kasiita, Sanyu Kagoda. It’s no wonder when they started campaigning, they were talking of Shs800m as money Mandela would use to revive Villa. But where is that money since I left? They postured Magid Musisi’s mother and his sisters, even Idd Batambuze. But when they had dumped Magid, I took him to an Iranian hospital for medication. You would say why I did not talk to them but it wasn’t necessary. They were actually supposed to come to me. What did I want from them? Nothing.So, what’s your problem with Magogo?My misunderstanding with Magogo is on principle. If you are the Fufa president, why do you poke your nose in club affairs? Secondly, if you are truly a Villa fan, why can’t you simply advise or offer help instead of interference?It does not make sense to mobilise fans against the leadership of a club. It was him during a meeting in Masindi that they plotted to deny us the trophy in 2018. In that meeting, he had Ronnie Kalema, Rogers Byamukama and Decolas Kiiza.One of them told me about Magogo’s fears that I would become the Fufa president if I had taken the trophy. I personally don’t wish to be Fufa president.What money is there to make as Fufa president? The money in football is made in clubs. I wanted to invest such that after like 10 years or so I could start reaping. Basically his thinking was childish and petty.When I was with Magogo in China, I asked him to concentrate on Fufa and leave Villa to me. Unfortunately, he did not relent. He kept telling people that I had taken Villa to Lusaka Commodities.But we were following their guidelines of making the club a limited company. A limited company must have shareholders. How did they want us to do it? The same Fufa has a limited company, Scoreline Investments Limited, which deals in business.
Your opinion is that Villa needs a rich man. What matters? Systems or a rich man?
Systems can be made by a rich man. How do you establish a secretariat, for instance, when you are poor? Okay, the systems are in place but they cannot even repair the buses that were donated. You need money to put structures in place. How do you claim to be a farm owner without land? Villa needs a rich person. When I first came to Villa, I was presented with a Sh300m bill for acquiring new players. I got that money from the bank and gave it to them. That needs a rich man who can sort out structures later.
You are a registered member of Villa yet you are the president of Nyamityobora. Where do you belong?
When I joined Nyamityobora I did not stop being a Villa fan. I joined Nyamityobora after the expiry of my term because of my friend Ali Ssekatawa and my Ibanda roots. I wanted to remain in football.The reason why I returned to Villa is because my blood is blue. In all family gatherings, Villa fans come in big numbers. We always have a dedicated tent for those fans. Most of them are my fans who refused to stay at Villa and yet I have failed to take them to Nyamityobora.There are more than 30,000 fans on the fence. The only option was to register at Villa to pull them back home. I did not want to leave them at the fence. When I registered, many followed me. I did not want to leave them wandering in the desert.
Why did you protest at Villa congress?
There were clauses that were misleading. First, they state that Villa ownership is under Villa Trustee. But this is a registered company with a deed at the Registrar of Companies with seven shareholders.
Struggling. Record champions SC Villa have fallen on hard times over the last decade with no revival in sight. The bulk of the team that played for them last season is expected to leave and the annual rebuilding process starts.
Why did they keep the deed secret? In the articles, they also state that one cannot belong to two bodies under Fufa. I also don’t believe in the articles on education in Villa leadership. If you lock them out of leadership, that is a mistake. Football is passion. If I give you money, do you have to ask for my education? Did (Villa founder Patrick) Kawooya have to go to Makerere to win all those trophies? Did Mugabe have to reach Senior Six to take the trophies? Why is it that we who are learned have failed? This clause was put in by Magogo for purely greedy intentions.If Villa is a community club, why do you lock out people? A community club must embrace all, both educated and uneducated. Secondly, how do you say Villa is a community club without a base? The problem is that they like to copy and paste. Villa is now a street club. They need a community before being called a community club. Villa became prominent because it was Nakivubo Boys.
What is the plan for Nyamityobora?
We are still waiting until when the lockdown is lifted. But we are prepared to play Gaddafi. Our plan is to return to the Premier League next season.
Were you surprised when Express took the trophy this season?
It was never a surprise. Magogo wanted to appease (Express chairman) Kiryowa Kiwanuka. If Express were good, why don’t they have players on the national team? Magogo wanted to massage Kiryowa’s ego. Nakiwala Kiyingi first raised the issue to the media then Mulindwa, another Express fan called a press conference to give the trophy to his parent team.
You are in charge of the royal regatta in Buganda Kingdom. What plans do you have for the sport?
We are still at standstill because of the lockdown. We are just waiting to return to normal. But we want to make the sport vibrant.Our target is to make the boat sport vibrant in Uganda. We can effectively use lakes Victoria, Kyoga and Wamala to generate income through forming boating clubs.
Any final remarks?
Government should start looking at football as business, not charity. Football has both direct and indirect benefits. The government here was misled into believing that football is about the national team. The national team is a one off. Fufa does not know the pain club owners go through to sustain them. The federation does not invest. They simply get paid from the sport. We need to tell the government that a successful sports industry rewards taxes both directly and indirectly.MISAGGA’S LOVE FOR LUXURYMisagga is a man of class with an appetite for the finer things of life including wines, cars and luxurious watches. His collection of watches has more than 40 pieces.He was inspired by his uncle BMK. His father used to love Rados and Oris. He still keeps one watch from his late father.His collection has more than 40 watches but his picks are Rado and Montblanc and Fossil original watches.His passion about cars was inspired by the late Patrick Kawooya, who used to visit his son at Matale School in a Datsun 160Z.“He had top class cars,” Misagga says. Misagga’s father was a car collector who’s Ford Taunus is still kept in Masaka.He also possessed the vintage Peugeot 404 and 504 as well as a Fiat Fiorino. His first car was a Nissan Geisha La Villa while working at Uganda Commercial Bank which he keeps until today.He owns a fleet of cars including the Ford 150 XLT he bought 18 years ago. His favourite is the Chevy SUV although his Land Cruiser VX is the pick in terms of power and maintenance.
PROFILE
Born: December 25, 1968Village: Kifuta-Kibanda Kyotera DistrictOccupation: Building and Civil EngineerCurrently: President Nyamityobora FCFormerly: President of Sports Club VillaWork CareerWorked with Road DevelopmentCompany Namibia ( RCC) as NorthWestern Province Projects ManagerCountry Director, Plinth Technical Zambia LtdAlsoInterested in Farming, Mining and Cattle Keeping.Enjoys Country and Jazz Music.
