Kabalega SS will return to the spotlight as hosts of the Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) U-20 boys’ football championship in 2027, ending a 12-year. St Mary’s Kitende were the champions when Kabalega SS hosted the national championship that was then known as Coca-Cola Cup in 2006. This will be the third time when they host the event having hosted also in 1999.
The Bunyoro-based school was among the hosts announced at GNS Plaza in Old Kampala after a joint team of Ministry of Education and Sports and USSSA officials inspected 15 bidding schools before a panel chaired by Commissioner for Physical Education Dr Rev Can Duncans Mugumya made the final awards.
USSSA president Justus Mugisha said the selection considered regional rotation, facilities, the impact on host communities and additional commitments made by bidders.
Kabalega’s return comes with conditions. Mugisha said the school benefited from regional rotation, with Bunyoro missing out when western Uganda last hosted the games through venues in Kigezi, Ankole and Rwenzori.
Although the inspection report identified gaps in sanitation, accommodation and pitches, the school, backed by its local government and alumni, pledged to renovate dormitories and playing surfaces.
Kabalega presented 13 pitches, exceeding the minimum requirement, and is expected to begin remedial work during the December holiday.
‘We now emphasise excellent facilities for all competitions. Students’ accommodation within the school, alongside hotel accommodation in the host city, is important,’ Mugisha said.
He added that green pitches with proper drainage were non-negotiable, particularly as the competitions increasingly attract television coverage.
‘When you have pitches with patches and pools of water, they look funny on TV,’ he said.
Hosting rights carry conditions
USSSA has also considered the legacy of hosting, including investment in sports infrastructure, accommodation and local economic activity.
Mugisha cited the FEASSSA Games in Bukedea District, where the construction of stadiums at Amus and Bukedea Comprehensive, an indoor stadium at Amus College, additional pitches and basketball courts left facilities for future use.
St Kaggwa Bushenyi and Bweranyangi Girls will jointly host Ball Games I and athletics for the first time. Athletics has been moved from Ball Games II into the opening championship.
Nyakasura School and Kyebambe Girls will stage Ball Games II, while Janan SS Bombo returns as Elite Games host, sharing duties with Standard High Zzana, Ndejje campus.
Swimming returns to Seroma in Mukono, the only bidder for the gala. Although the school offered to host for four consecutive years, USSSA initially awarded it the 2026 edition, leaving room for other schools to develop suitable facilities. But there was no bidder this year.
To guard against delays, the association has named standby hosts for three championships. Seroma is the reserve for Ball Games I, Mbarara High for boys’ football and St Mary’s Rushoroza for Ball Games II.
Mugisha said the reserve schools already have the required facilities but were not selected as principal hosts because they had staged events recently.
A final compliance inspection in January 2027 will determine whether the successful bidders retain their hosting rights. The assessment will be pass or fail, with a standby venue activated if a school fails to meet the requirements.
Security, medical services, accommodation, properly drained pitches and signed hosting agreements are among the mandatory conditions. The Ministry of Education and Sports will issue agreements binding the hosts to their obligations.