By Kitts D. Mabonga
Bombo/Luwero
The government has issued an open arrest warrant for any head teacher whose school shall be implicated in hiring mercenaries during games competitions as the act was criminal and punishable by law.
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The warning has been issued by the Commissioner physical education and sports in the ministry of Education and Sports, Rev. Canon Duncan Mugumya while representing the state minister for Sports, Peter Ogwang.
This was on April 29 2024 during the official opening ceremony for the Fresh Diary Secondary schools’ games 2024 at Ndejje University sports complex in Bombo town council, Luwero district.
The chief guest of the day was the Luwero district governor Erasto Kibirango who was accompanied by a big delegation of the district administration including Mayor of Ndejje, CAO, DPC, DEO. DIS among others.
Mugumya said the government was concerned about the clandestine hire of mercenaries during schools’ games competition by some schools with the aim of winning points saying it was criminal.
He observed that under the National Sports Act 2023, any school implicated in the clandestine hire of mercenaries for purposes of playing for that school commits an offence and instead of banning or punishing the culprit student or mercenary, the government has decided to prosecute the headmaster of that culprit school because is the one who pays the bill.
He directed all RDCs, RCCs and security forces across the country to arrest and cause the prosecution of such head teachers of culprit schools.
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The commissioner’s position was supported by the LCV governor of Luwero, Erasto Kibirango as chief guest saying they have been facing challenges of some schools hiring mercenaries to play for them a position which disadvantages the genuine players and thus denying them victory.
‘As district local governments, we strongly welcome the new policy direction on the hire of mercenaries because some schools clandestinely hire university students to play for primary schools while others from secondary schools play for primary schools at a fee’ lamented Kibirango.
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Kibirango commended the Ndejje SSS as host school alongside the ministry of education and both the leaderships of the Association of Secondary Schools’ Head Teachers of Uganda [ASSHU] alongside the Uganda Secondary School’s Sports Association [USSSA] for taking a bold decision of picking Luwero as the host for the games saying the gesture has not only exposed the district to the international community but as well brought in billions of dimes.
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The ASSHU Secretary General also doubling as the headmistress Nabisunsa Girls school hajjati Nabukeera Zulaika Kabuye highlighted the significance of discipline among sportsmen and women saying it was the way to go.
Both the president of [USSSA] Mugisha Justus and chairman national organizing committee Okot p’ Bitek said the games would run effectively under the vigilance of security officers currently deployed to secure both the play grounds and residential facilities respectively.
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