UGANDA Trends and Developments Contributed by: Timothy Kajja, Nanyonjo Janet Pheobe and Jolly Kibalama, Engoru, Mutebi Advocates
Although privately created, these rules carry signifi - cant weight due to the consequences of non-com - pliance. Jurisprudence from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) remains a critical source of sports law in Africa. Several countries, including Kenya, have also estab - lished specialised sports tribunals. A major chal - lenge, however, remains the tension and misalignment between national law and federation statutes. The African Union Sports Council The African Union Sports Council (AUSC) plays a unique role within the continental sports governance ecosystem. As an intergovernmental organisation, its mandate is rooted in policy development: promoting sport as a human right, encouraging funding for sports development, guiding member states, and co-ordinat - ing continental sports initiatives. However, the AUSC faces structural limitations. It has no direct regulatory or disciplinary authority over ath - letes, clubs, or federations. Its impact depends heavily on political will at the state level. The AUSC’s great - est potential lies in norm-setting – developing model sports legislation, governance standards, safeguard - ing frameworks, and dispute-resolution guidelines to harmonise the continent’s sports laws. CAF and the professionalisation of African sport Football is the most influential sport in Africa, mak - ing the Confederation of African Football (CAF) the continent’s most prominent sports body. The AFCON Morocco 2025 tournament, for example, generated over 6.1 billion impressions and 5.2 billion video views across social platforms. CAF has been driving a deliberate professionalisation agenda: enhancing club licensing, raising stadium standards, restructuring competitions, and boosting commercial value. This push has required significant legal and financial sophistication and has elevated broader standards relating to women’s sport and cor - porate governance. During the COVID-19 era, at least 11 African countries were unable to host Category A games due to inad - equate stadiums. Today, over 90% have built or refur -
bished modern facilities. Uganda’s construction of the Hoima City Stadium, a 5-star rated venue, exemplifies this progress.
Key issues in African sports Migration and sports in Africa
Athlete migration is a major theme in African sport. While success stories like Sir Mo Farah highlight the potential for opportunity, many athletes face danger - ous journeys and exploitation. The tragic case of Samia Omar, an Olympic runner from Somalia who drowned while attempting to reach Europe, illustrates the extreme risks many athletes face. With Africa hosting roughly a third of the world’s displaced persons, athletes are often forced to move due to conflict, persecution, infrastructure projects, climate change, or natural disasters. “Fake agents” running fraudulent recruitment schemes remain a widespread problem, luring young athletes into perilous routes. Despite efforts from NGOs and individuals, major sports bodies such as FIFA and the IOC have yet to provide sufficient support to tackle the issue at scale. The Basketball Africa League as a governance model The Basketball Africa League (BAL), created by the NBA and FIBA, represents a new model of sports gov - ernance in Africa. It is a commercially driven, centrally managed league with clear governance structures, strong contractual frameworks, and major commer - cial partnerships. The BAL sets new standards in sports marketing, intellectual property management, events manage - ment, commercial transparency, and professionalisa - tion. Its success demonstrates that Africa can attract significant global investment when governance and legal certainty are prioritised. Anti-doping Anti-doping regulation has become one of the most influential legal catalysts for reform across Africa. Compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code requires states to legislate, fund testing, and establish inde - pendent National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs).
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