UGANDA Law and Practice Contributed by: Timothy Kajja, Nanyonjo Janet Pheobe and Jolly Kibalama, Engoru, Mutebi Advocates
medical teams, trained stewards, and leaders of fan groups. These parties form ad hoc committees to oversee the successful hosting and management of each sports event. 3.2 Duty of Care and Liability In Uganda, sports event organisers who control or manage venues owe a duty of care under the doctrine of occupiers’ liability, grounded primarily in the com - mon law of negligence as applied by Ugandan courts. An organiser is considered an “occupier” when they have sufficient control over the premises – whether a stadium, training ground, or temporary event space – to prevent or reduce foreseeable risks. This duty extends to spectators, athletes, officials, employees, volunteers, and invited guests, and requires organisers to take reasonable steps to ensure that the premises are safe for the purposes for which persons are invited or permitted to be there. Ugandan courts generally follow English common law principles, particularly the test of reasonable foreseeability of harm, when deter- mining whether an occupier has breached this duty. For sports events, the scope of the duty of care is heightened by the inherently risky nature of sporting activities and the presence of large crowds. Organis - ers are expected to anticipate risks such as structural failures of stands, inadequate crowd control, poor pitch conditions, insufficient medical preparedness, and unsafe ingress and egress routes. Compliance with sectoral standards set by local federations and police safety requirements serves as persuasive evi - dence of reasonable care, although it does not auto - matically absolve an organiser of liability. Where an injury arises from a hazard that was known or ought reasonably to have been known, Ugandan courts are likely to find negligence if the organiser failed to conduct proper risk assessments, provide adequate warnings, or implement reasonable safety measures. Importantly, occupiers’ liability in Uganda cannot be fully excluded through disclaimers or ticket con - ditions, especially where injuries result from gross negligence or failures affecting public safety. While organisers may limit liability for ordinary risks inherent in sport, they remain legally responsible for prevent - able dangers arising from poor planning or inadequate supervision. As sports events in Uganda expand in
scale and commercial value, organisers are increas - ingly expected to adopt professional risk management practices – such as obtaining insurance cover, prepar - ing comprehensive emergency response plans, and clearly allocating safety responsibilities – to meet their duty of care and reduce legal exposure. Another approach to mitigating risk is obtaining insur - ance coverage. Policies may cover specific risks, such as fire outbreaks, or may offer comprehensive pro - tection with a cap on the compensation payable for claims. Athletes are generally not liable for harm caused to spectators during sporting activities. However, if an athlete acts in a manner that triggers civil or criminal liability – such as violently attacking a fan – then, in addition to sports-related sanctions, criminal or civil proceedings may be instituted against the athlete. The National Sports Act, Cap 151, broadly criminal - ises any form of violence or hooliganism at sports events. Acts aimed at injuring a person, destroying property, disturbing the peace or order of a sports event, intimidating athletes or officials, and similar conduct constitute criminal offences. At the time of publication, sports federations and associations in Uganda are registered as Trusts. How - ever, the National Sports Act, Cap 151, introduced a new framework that designates sports federations and sports associations as bodies corporate. As a result, these entities now acquire corporate status automatically, without requiring additional formalities. The National Council for Sports (NCS) is currently undertaking the re‑registration of sports federations and associations as bodies corporate under the Sports Act. This process is expected to be completed by mid‑2026. 4. Corporate Structures 4.1 Legal Forms of Sporting Bodies Regarding sports clubs, there are no legal restrictions on the form they must take. In practice, however, sports clubs are typically incorporated as private lim -
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