Every cloud has a silver lining, right?
That’s exactly how I’m choosing to look at the recent general election results, especially the ones that caught a lot of us off guard. You had established politicians like Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, Busiro East MP Medard Sseggona, Kira Municipality’s Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda and Nyendo-Mukungwe’s Mathias Mpuuga all losing their seats.
Lest I forget, the list includes my friends Godfrey Kayemba Solo and Allan Ssewanyana, the outgoing MPs for Makindye West and Bukomansimbi. What’s more, hats off to the attempted comebacks of Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja and the ‘bull of Ayivu’ Benard Atiku.
Were these results shocking? Absolutely. But here is the thing; maybe this isn’t the end of their story. Maybe it’s just a pivot. Hear me out; for the next five years, before the next election cycle rolls around, why not return to something they were just as passionate about before politics came calling? Football.
These weren’t just politicians who dabbled in sports on the side. They were deeply embedded in the game. Take Ssemujju, for instance. Long before he was in the August House, he was a die-hard Express FC supporter.
The kind of hardliner who didn’t just cheer from the stands but had a real hand in shaping the club’s leadership. That kind of passion doesn’t just disappear. Then there’s Lukwago. He’s already the patron of KCCA FC. The groundwork is there.
All he has to do is step in more actively, more visibly. Imagine the energy he could bring. Mpuuga’s and Ssempijja’s case is especially interesting. They have been quietly supporting football in the Masaka region for a while now.
But we need to see them take the lead and revive Masaka Union FC. That club used to be a real force and produced many talented players. Ssempijja almost singlehandedly kept Masaka LC in the big boys club for many years.
With the duo’s backing and influence, football in the sub-region could rise again. And Sseggona? Just three years ago, he threw his hat in the ring for the Villa presidency. And honestly? He might have actually won it if the whole process hadn’t been bungled up.
This also brings me to Kayemba. He always put his life on the line for the club. Now that both are out of parliament, this is the perfect time to dive back into Villa leadership. Let him show the doubters that his connection to the club isn’t just political window dressing.
Let him live it. As for Ssewwanyana, he is already back to his former role as sports media pundit but it is at KCCA that I want him to serve the game best. Meanwhile, Atiku, I believe he still has what it takes to resurrect football in West Nile.
He was the mastermind behind the emergence of Onduparaka and despite losing the MP race in 2021, I firmly believe he would have won had he got the club in the mainstream fold. It is not too late.
At the end of the day, football keeps you connected. It keeps you grounded. It keeps you in touch with the people; maybe even more than politics does. And for these four, it could be a way to stay visible, stay relevant and stay busy in a meaningful way.
They don’t have to look far for inspiration. Just ask Bidandi Ssali. After his party, UPM, lost the 1980 general elections and he personally lost the Nakawa MP race, he didn’t fade away. He stepped back onto the pitch, literally.
First as coach, then as an administrator at KCCA FC. Throughout the entire UPC regime, he remained a powerful figure in Ugandan life. Not because of politics. Because of football. So yes, voters may have shown them the door, for now.
But if they channel that energy back into the beautiful game, football might just be the biggest winner of all.
The author is a football investor and SC Villa president emeritus.
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