The State Minister for Education and Sports (Sports), Hon. Denis Obua, has confirmed to Parliament that Team Uganda shall travel for the Commonwealth Games in the United Kingdom.
Obua told MPs during plenary on Tuesday, 10 May 2022 that in a recent meeting with the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, funds would be released in two quarters.
“The ministry will release funds in two instalments – in the fourth quarter for Financial Year 2021/2022 and first quarter of the Financial Year 2022/2023 to facilitate the teams in qualification, preparation and presentation Team Uganda at the Commonwealth Games 2022,” Obua said
On Tuesday, 03 May 2022, the Shadow Minister for Sports, Hon. Godfrey Kayemba, raised on a matter of national importance in regard to the lack of funds to facilitate Uganda’s participation in the Commonwealth Games due to take place from 28 July to 08 August 2022.
“We want results and good performance but we are not participating in the preparations for better results. We request government to expedite funds for the sports people who are to participate at the Commonwealth Games in two months’ time,” Kayemba said.
Obua during the session, chaired by Speaker Anita Among, said that government had plans to fund the athletes since it was in the plan to facilitate the National Council of Sports with the additional funding of Shs4.7 billion to support the athletes.
The Speaker requested for an enhancement of the sports budget in the next financial year.
She said: “We need a team to go and represent the country and we need to prioritise sports in the next financial year so that we avoid ad hoc decisions like these. All we need as Parliament is a team to go.”
With the games around the corner, 58 out of 72 Commonwealth Games Associations had confirmed participation.
