Category: Daily Monitor

For decades, efforts to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the continent have largely centred on improving access to finance. Yet, as many practitioners have discovered, capital alone has not translated into sustainable growth. Structural weaknesses-ranging from poor strategic positioning to weak internal systems-continue to limit the ability of many businesses to scale, attract investment, or even survive beyond their early stages.

It is within this context that Ankolo Consulting positions its Business Coaching Masterclass Programme, not merely as a training course, but as a practical intervention designed to build a new cadre of business coaches equipped to work directly with enterprises. Through a blend of proprietary tools, real-world application, and a focus on both leadership and systems, the programme seeks to address the foundational gaps that often go unnoticed until it is too late.

Patrick Ssentongo spoke to Ankolo Consulting Founder and Managing Partner Paul Musoke to unpack the thinking behind the programme, its practical impact, and why business coaching could be the missing link in Africa’s SME growth story.

Your seventh cohort has just graduated-how do you see the graduation evolving beyond a ceremonial moment into a credible platform for developing business coaches and connecting SMEs to structured support?

The graduation is a culmination of three months of intense theoretical and practical learning for the participants. They are left equipped with the required skills to support African SMEs, each having coached a real client that they have supported to redefine their strategic direction. They are ready to hit the ground running with their newly acquired skills.

What key gaps did you identify in SME development, and how did those insights shape the design of this coaching masterclass?

I’ve spent 27 years across banking and development finance, and in that time, we’ve seen access to financial services in Africa grow from about 30 percent in the 1990s to over 85 percent today, but this progress has largely benefited individuals, not enterprises. We did try to increase access for SMEs over the years, but we often fell short because the risk profile is far more complex.

Enterprises operate in unpredictable environments, require larger and longer-term financing, and depend on teams to deliver results, all of which increases the risk for financiers. That’s what informed the design of this programme. We focus on strengthening the entrepreneur and their team, helping them understand their competitive environment, innovate, prioritise strategic focus areas, and ultimately build a clear market position that improves their chances of scaling and attracting investment.’

Many interventions for SMEs have focused heavily on access to finance. From your experience, why has that not been enough-and where exactly does business coaching come in as the missing link between ambition and scalable growth?

Access to finance is critical for enterprises to grow and succeed. However, if an enterprise carries a high-risk profile the financing will ultimately run away from it as it will lead to incurring unsustainable losses for the financiers due to exposure to the presented risks. The focus should be on addressing the risk profile inherent in the enterprises.

This will include things like strategic clarity, execution capabilities (structure and people), market responsiveness, innovation, track record of success. Our conviction is that once you get the enterprise structured correctly, signalling effective risk management and a clear track record of success, the money will ultimately follow.

At the core of your programme is a proprietary coaching methodology that blends systemic team coaching, gestalt approaches, and blue ocean strategy. How does this combination practically help businesses rethink their positioning, competitiveness, and long-term strategy?

Systemic coaching helps the entrepreneur and the team to critically analyse their internal environment by analysing their stakeholders, understanding their expectations and analysing to what extent the business is meeting the stakeholder expectations. This analysis helps the team to determine what strategic initiatives they must undertake to meet stakeholder expectations and hence strategic clarity.

The Gestalt approach helps the team to delve into their core internal knowledge of the industry and their business (the fertile void) to identify innovation possibilities that can help them differentiate themselves from the competition. The blue ocean ‘six path framework’ helps the team to think beyond their industry to identify other ideas for innovations that can further enable them to differentiate themselves from the industry. The blue ocean ‘four action framework’ helps the team to prioritise strategic focus as they develop a new strategic positioning for the business.

The structure of the masterclass is notably hands-on, with participants working on real businesses between modules. How important is this practical element in shaping effective coaches, and what kind of transformation have you seen both in the coaches and the enterprises they engage?

As part of the program each participant must identify a client that they will offer the business coaching to on a pro-bono basis. It is important for the participants to be able to apply the learnings from the classroom to a real- life situation. As part of the masterclass the participants have the faculty available to provide guidance as they prepare to engage their pro-bono clients and afterwards to be guided on how things could have been improved.

Feedback from the pro-bono clients contributes 30 percent of the marks towards the participants grading on the program. Hands-on application helps the participants to build confidence in applying the tools to a real-life situation and ensures that by the time they graduate they are able to support enterprises straight away.

The feedback from pro-bono clients has been very positive (on average above 80% satisfaction) on how they have experienced the tools and in many cases by the time the business coaching ends they are already implementing new initiatives that emerged from the pro-bono business coaching.

Who exactly is this program designed for? In terms of experience, background, and intent, what kind of professionals or business leaders are best suited to benefit from or contribute to this coaching ecosystem?

The program targets people with leadership experience in the corporate, enterprise and academia in the business environment who want to channel this experience towards supporting the development of enterprises on the African continent. People who are looking to grow a career in business consulting.

For CEOs and founders who may not necessarily want to become coaches but are seeking growth, how does engaging with a trained business coach from your program translate into tangible value for their enterprises?

The business coaches will support the CEOs and founders to align the whole team towards a common direction and focus, create clarity who is responsible for what around the enterprise’s strategic focus areas, help the organisation to come up with differentiated position in the market that increases their chances of competing better than their peers, have a strong foundation on which they will build a comprehensive and executable strategy.

You’ve described this cohort as particularly strong, even calling it one of the best so far. What stood out in terms of capability, impact, or outcomes-and what does that say about the growing maturity of the coaching ecosystem you are building?

Usually, we have about 30% of the class getting a distinction in their final grade. With cohort VII all got distinctions. Also, the feedback from their pro-bono clients was extremely positive and clearly left them as different organisations. I think this reflects their longevity in their sectors (banking, consulting and international development) as well as their level of seniority when they are working or when they retire. We are looking forward to working with them on some of our programmes. I think we are increasingly attracting the right calibre of people to the masterclass.

Beyond the masterclass, your model extends into strategy development, change management, and even linking businesses to financing. How does this end-to-end approach strengthen the journey from business restructuring to investment readiness?

Ankolo’s investment readiness advisory services are delivered across four modules as follows: Business Coaching: 15 hours engagement hand-holding teams to reimagine their strategic positioning, Strategy Development: 30 working days engagement assisting teams in building actionable growth plans, Change Management: 6 days (over six months) ensuring plans are effectively implemented and Deals Flow: Prepare for and facilitate connections with financiers for funding. This is deliberately structured like that because it is quite a lot for the enterprise to take on all at once.

Each of these modules are critical for getting the business to convince funders that they have a clear strategic direction, have the right structures, have clear strategy implementation plans and can demonstrate a clear track record of strategic success. With our hand holding support we ensure that the enterprises have a trusted advisor to get them through the process up to the time they are able to raise the required financing. The Masterclass is our way of building capacity for the investment readiness eco-system to ensure sustainability of our interventions to other service providers beyond Ankolo.

Looking ahead, as you expand into new markets and potentially franchise this model across Africa, what role do you see business coaching playing in reshaping how African enterprises are built, led, and scaled?

We hope to see more enterprises across the continent starting with a better strategic direction, being more innovative and better structured than we see today across Africa. We anticipate this will lead to businesses that last beyond their first year as we see today in Africa and are able to scale to sustainability.

We anticipate that more financiers will more clearly see the potential in African enterprises and support them to grow into regional and global players. We want to see African enterprises living up to their potential of driving economic growth and employment across the continent.

May is the Internal Audit Awareness month and globally, Internal Auditors pause to reflect. We get an opportunity to celebrate our contribution but also ask difficult questions about our relevance in a rapidly evolving business environment.

One question stands out: Are we helping organisations create and protect value, or are we becoming known merely as relentless critics of non-compliance?

Traditionally, Internal Audit has been about controls, policies, findings, and compliance checks. For many employees (and some executives), the arrival of Internal Audit triggers anxiety rather than collaboration. Auditors are viewed as fault-finders, yet the modern business demands something fundamentally different.

According to the Global Internal Audit Standards, the profession exists to strengthen an organisation’s ability to create, protect and sustain value through independent assurance, advice, insight, and foresight. That definition shifts Internal Audit from a backward-looking control function to a forward-looking strategic enabler.

Are Ugandan Internal Audit functions living up to that mandate? Take these two very different audit experiences shared by professionals in the field, for instance:

In the first case, an Internal Audit team conducted a Revenue Assurance Audit and uncovered approximately Shs120 billion in uncollected revenue, with potential exposure rising to nearly Shs500 billion after a deeper review.

Management immediately mobilised and established a team to address the issue. That is Internal Audit operating at its highest level; identifying material business risk, influencing executive action, and directly contributing to organisational value.

The second case was technically sound, but strategically less meaningful. An audit finding was raised because physical copies of approvals for cash expenditures were not being maintained in line with company policy.

Management had already transitioned to electronic approvals supported by e-signatures and argued that the process didn’t increase operational risk. The policy was amended to reflect operational reality.

The auditors were correct from a compliance standpoint. But did the exercise materially improve the organisation? Both audits met professional standards and identified legitimate issues. But only one demonstrably moved the business forward.

That distinction captures the crossroads facing the profession today. Businesses are navigating increasingly complex risks: cyber threats, digital fraud, regulatory pressure, geopolitical uncertainty, Artificial Intelligence, and rapidly changing customer expectations. In such times, Internal Auditors must do more than identify policy breaches. They must anticipate risk, challenge strategic blind spots, and help leadership make better decisions.

Internal Audit plans can no longer be built around routine coverage exercises. The starting point should always be a simple question: What value will this audit create or protect?

Traditional audit areas such as payroll, fixed assets, and accounts payable remain important, but many have matured significantly due to automation and stronger operational controls.

The greater opportunity for Internal Audit lies in emerging areas such as cyber security, third-party risk management, revenue assurance, digital ecosystems, data governance, and financial crime prevention.

Equally important is the ability of internal auditors to continuously assess their own impact.

Recently, I asked each auditor on my team to articulate how they had created or preserved value over the previous year.

In some cases, the impact was difficult to clearly define and I realised that internal audit can easily become busy without necessarily being impactful. That is a risk we must confront honestly.

Another shift involves engagement with leadership. Auditors sometimes maintain excessive distance from management in the name of preserving independence. But independence doesn’t mean isolation.

Meaningful engagement with management is essential if auditors are to understand strategic priorities, emerging risks, and areas where assurance is most needed.

When disconnected from strategy, internal audit risks becoming irrelevant. This also places greater responsibility on us to continuously deepen our expertise. Organisations currently employ highly specialised professionals across technology, finance, operations, digital platforms, and risk management.

Auditors cannot challenge or advise in areas where they do not fully understand the underlying risks.

Continuous professional development is, therefore, no longer optional and is now fundamental to maintaining credibility and relevance.

The future of Internal Audit will not be determined by how many findings are raised in reports. It will be determined by whether the function helps organisations navigate uncertainty, strengthen resilience, and achieve better outcomes.

Health officials and local leaders in western Kikuube District, mid-western Uganda, have suspended daily markets and banned public gatherings in Kyangwali Sub-county after authorities confirmed an Ebola case linked to the area, as the country battles a fresh outbreak that has so far recorded seven confirmed infections.

The restrictions were announced Tuesday as part of emergency containment measures following confirmation that a taxi driver tested positive for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

According to district authorities, the driver is suspected to have transported the country’s first Ebola patient, a Congolese national, from Kyangwali to Kampala before later developing symptoms and testing positive.

‘We have suspended all daily markets in Kyangwali Sub-county and banned public gatherings with immediate effect. These measures are intended to break the chain of transmission and protect the community from further infections,’ Kikuube Resident District Commissioner Godwin Angalia Kasigwa told residents.

Kasigwa said markets and crowded public events pose a major transmission risk because they attract large numbers of people into close contact.

Authorities have also intensified surveillance along Lake Albert landing sites commonly used by people crossing from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into Uganda.

‘We have imposed restrictions on movement through the landing sites and increased screening of all people entering the country through these routes. Our priority is to ensure that no infected person enters the district unnoticed,’ Kasigwa said.

Health officials said at least 30 people who may have come into contact with the infected taxi driver are being traced and monitored.

‘Currently, we are looking for about 30 people who had direct or indirect contact with the patient. Contact tracing is one of the most important strategies in stopping Ebola because it helps us identify and isolate potential cases before they spread the disease,’ Kasigwa added.

Kikuube District Vice Chairperson Vincent Alpha Opio said the identified contacts would remain under close observation and urged anyone developing symptoms to seek immediate medical attention.

The latest case has heightened concern in Kyangwali, home to one of Uganda’s largest refugee settlements that receives frequent movement of people from neighbouring eastern DRC, where insecurity and disease outbreaks remain a concern.

Residents expressed anxiety over the outbreak but largely welcomed the restrictions.

‘We depend on the market for our daily survival, but health is more important. If the disease spreads, many people could suffer. We are asking the government to help affected traders during this difficult period,’ said Sarah Ainomugisha, a trader in Kyangwali.

Peter Byaruhanga, a boda boda rider, urged residents to cooperate with health workers.

‘People should stop hiding information from health teams. If someone feels sick or has been in contact with an Ebola patient, they should report immediately. That is how we can protect our families,’ he said.

Kikuube District Surveillance Officer Geoffrey Barongo said health teams had been deployed to conduct door-to-door sensitisation campaigns and monitor high-risk communities.

‘We are working closely with village health teams, local leaders and security agencies to ensure that people understand the risks and follow the recommended preventive measures,’ Barongo said.

The Ministry of Health has stepped up screening and surveillance in districts bordering the DRC amid fears of cross-border transmission.

Barongo warned that Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected persons or contaminated materials and can spread rapidly if not detected early.

Common symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and unexplained bleeding.

Uganda has so far confirmed seven Ebola cases in the latest outbreak involving the Ebola Bundibugyo strain, according to health authorities.

Vice President Jessica Alupo on Tuesday formally bid farewell to outgoing United States Ambassador William Popp, marking the end of his diplomatic tour in Uganda amid efforts by Kampala and Washington to maintain strong bilateral ties despite recent tensions.

During a meeting at her office in Kampala, the two leaders reflected on the historical relationship between Uganda and the United States, praising steady progress in bilateral cooperation over the years.

Alupo commended Popp for his role in strengthening collaboration between the two countries during his tenure.

A key highlight of the discussions was the recently finalised 2026-2030 health cooperation framework valued at $2.3 billion.

Alupo said the agreement showed Uganda’s gradual march toward self-reliance, noting that the government had committed more than $500 million toward domestic health financing.

Beyond healthcare, the vice president reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to regional peace and security and praised continued security cooperation between the United States and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), which she said remains important for stability in East and Central Africa.

Alupo also highlighted Uganda’s push toward economic transformation, industrialisation and private sector growth, describing the country as an important regional partner for Washington.

She, in turn, described the United States as a major strategic, humanitarian and health partner for Uganda.

Ambassador Popp thanked Ugandan officials for the cooperation and support he received during his time in Kampala since 2023.

‘I take pride and special privilege to have served in this country, and I honor your support in various fields that have benefited both Uganda and the United States,’ Popp said.

Popp’s departure comes at a sensitive moment following a period of diplomatic recalibration between Kampala and Washington over governance, security and human rights concerns.

The finalisation of the $2.3 billion health framework is expected to secure funding for HIV/AIDS, malaria and maternal health programmes, helping maintain critical humanitarian and development support between the two countries.

Uganda and the United States have maintained diplomatic relations for more than 60 years, with cooperation spanning health, security, trade, humanitarian assistance and regional peacekeeping efforts.

Buganda King [Kabaka] Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II has called on leaders to respect people’s faith, religion and cultural values, saying they remain essential pillars for peace, unity and national development, in an Idd-ul-Adhuha 2026 message delivered ahead of the celebrations.

In his message read by Buganda Information Minister Israel Kitone, the Kabaka thanked Allah for enabling Muslims to reach the holy celebration and prayed for pilgrims who travelled to Mecca and Medina to complete their spiritual journey safely and return with blessings.

He expressed hope that pilgrims who performed Hajj had gained lessons on human development, patriotism and stronger commitment to faith.

The Kabaka said countries that have achieved meaningful development are often anchored on citizens who trust leadership that promotes tolerance, forgiveness, respect for cultural values and equitable sharing of national resources.

He warned that many African countries continue to lag behind due to failure to learn from historical experiences and development models elsewhere, citing greed, intolerance, conflict and hatred as major obstacles to progress.

‘These challenges can be avoided if we genuinely commit ourselves to learning from the development journeys of other nations,’ the monarch said.

He urged Ugandans to use the Idd-ul-Adhuha celebrations to pray for national progress and for leaders to uphold respect for people’s beliefs, religions and cultural traditions.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Mufti of the Kibuli-based Muslim faction, Sheikh Muhammad Galabuzi, urged Muslims to strictly observe Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as they prepare for Idd-ul-Adhuha amid concerns over Ebola.

Speaking ahead of the celebrations due on Wednesday, Sheikh Galabuzi warned that the situation remains serious and requires collective responsibility.

‘You should know that the Martyrs Day celebrations were cancelled, and this shows that the pandemic is serious,’ he said.

He urged worshippers to avoid overcrowding, maintain hygiene and follow health guidelines during Idd prayers and family gatherings.

Sheikh Galabuzi also encouraged Muslims with financial capacity to pay Zakah promptly to support vulnerable communities during the festive period.

He announced that Idd prayers will begin at 9am, noting that worshippers will observe fasting before prayers.

Idd-ul-Adhuha, one of Islam’s most significant festivals, is marked by prayers, sacrifice, charity and communal sharing of meals.

When the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) took power in January 1986, it became one of the first guerrilla movements in Africa since independence to overthrow a sitting government by fighting it from within its territory. The success of NRM was mainly down to one thing. Good intelligence and insider information about the sitting Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) government. Intelligence information more than anything else, is the core of governance and every aspect of life. It informs one on how to deal with who or what they are contending with. It makes it easy if you have as much accurate information about all aspects of whoever you are contending with. Mainly their strength, weakness, likes, dislikes, and how they respond in various settings and situations. You may use such information to fool them and lure them into an ambush by, say, over stating your own weakness so they expose themselves. The most important link to such information is human assets, more than anything else.

Even if you have good technology like cameras and listening devices, there is always a need for a human being to man and supplement them. Human beings are versatile, too. They move and change quickly. It makes life easy if there is someone in or near the system to provide the information. A gate keeper is vital to leak information about movements and interactions between people. Plainly speaking, such persons must be traitors or double-crossers to a cause. As the title of Gordon Corera’s book, The Art of Betrayal: The Secret History of MI6, Intelligence and Espionage suggests. There are many ways of recruiting. Either by using money, promise of a bright future in case subterfuge succeeds or get a vulnerable person and threaten them with blackmail. For instance, if a man of high public moral standing is found with a prostitute or a child outside wedlock, you ask them to work for you if not, you leak their secret.

The Apollo Milton Obote government was not in any way a weak military force. It had many traitors within the ranks and, as such, was easy to infiltrate. The Obote government did not have a lot of time to organise and populate all sections of government with loyal people. The bush war began almost immediately they swore in. The civil service it inherited was full of people from the ‘hostile’ Buganda region. Many of these people, judging from the turbulent history of 1966 when the Kabaka’s palace was stormed, and Ssekabaka Edward Muteesa II was exiled, had an axe to grind with UPC and Obote. The NRM got a lot of information and even assistance. Many injured combatants were treated in government hospitals, including the Mulago National Referral Hospital. Forged passports were easy to acquire. It was easy to get information about troop strength and movement by having contacts.

By the time the Obote government fell in July 1985, it had enemies right at the core. Vice President Paulo Muwanga was part of the coup plot, and he became executive prime minister in the Gen Tito Okello Lutwa military junta that followed. Muwanga was later arrested and jailed. NRM has managed to dominate Ugandan politics for the last 40 years because of understanding and managing betrayal. Most opposing political and military forces have been infiltrated by what people call ‘moles.’ Many of them end up in the NRM. That is what caused a rift between Vincent Otti and Joseph Kony of the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The subsequent purge on suspicion that Otti was now working with the NRM government weakened the group.

Former Parliament Speaker Anita Among, just like many before her, was a member of the then leading Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), when it was led by the now incarcerated Dr Kizza Besigye. Many senior members, including Alex Onzima, Betty Kamya, Bernard Atiku, Beatrice Anywar, Thomas Tayebwa and Joyce Nabossa Ssebugwawo left the party to join NRM. (There was Dan Omara Atubo, Dick Nyayi, Eric Sakwa and Jimmy Akena of UPC.) Every departure weakened FDC. Of all of them, Among is the one who openly brags about her role in weakening the Opposition. She is also the one who has climbed very high in the NRM hierarchy. Now Among, who one would consider an asset to NRM, could end up like Paulo Muwanga, who let down Obote. In intelligence circles, there is no honour among traitors.

They are always viewed as traitors even if they reform. Anyone with the DNA or history of betraying a cause is looked at with suspicion. Most people who benefit from their services as assets usually wait for an opportune moment to jettison them. The government does not populate the military, the police civil service, institutions of learning, all offices of national significance and lucrative parts of the economy because of tribalism. It is an insurance policy against betrayal.

For even a business community or agricultural sector dominated by hostile groups can fund enemies like the Baganda of Luweero funded and fed the NRA guerrillas in a country with a government. When birds of the same feather are flocking together, they mark their territory to ensure their survival. It is made clear to them that it is ‘their thing’ to protect or perish. The people who cry about NRM not paying them or treating them badly after they helped bring down Obote and UPC dug their own graves. They stuck out, wrapped with the burden of betrayal like sore thumbs, and they were easily struck down.

Football justice may finally hand SC Villa the leverage they crave in Saturday’s Stanbic Uganda Cup final against Kitara at Fufa Technical Centre in Njeru.

Whereas Villa narrowly missed out on the Uganda Premier League title despite arguably playing the most attractive and organised football in the division, Kitara’s spirited campaign and resilient Cup run equally make them deserving contenders for silverware.

Villa ended the season third on 61 points, six behind newly crowned champions Vipers, but many neutrals viewed the Jogoos as the league’s most tactically refined side under Serbian coach Zeljko Kovacevic.

Their closing run, highlighted by emphatic victories over Nec and UPDF, has further fuelled belief among Villa faithful that a record equalling tenth Uganda Cup crown is within reach.

The latest statement came on Saturday when Villa defeated UPDF 2-1 through goals from Isaac Mpagi and Patrick Kakande, a result that sharpened focus on the showdown against Wasswa Bbosa’s Kitara side.

Kitara, meanwhile, were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against Police in Hoima after twice fighting back through Patrick Kaddu and Jimmy Kalema.

Eyes on Caf

Kovacevic believes Villa’s strong finish has created the right mentality ahead of the final as the club seeks a return to continental football via the Caf Confederation Cup.

‘We wanted to win the last game and go into the final with a good feeling,’ Kovacevic said after the UPDF victory.

‘It prepared us for the final cup game against Kitara and we will try to win and go for Africa because that is our target.

‘We have had good and bad games but we still have room to improve and that is my job. We still have 40 percent to improve our players. Ugandan football is interesting because every game is not easy. The fans should expect us to fight. Kitara is a good team but we shall give it everything.’

Villa’s title near miss will continue to sting considering how long they stayed in contention before Vipers eventually pulled away with 67 points. Yet the Jogoos’ consistency, defensive discipline and technical structure have restored optimism around the country’s most decorated club.

Golden Ahimbisibwe

At KCCA , league top scorer Ivan Ahimbisibwe also reflected on missed opportunities after the Kasasiro Boys completed their campaign with a commanding 4-1 victory over Mbarara City to finish second on 62 points.

Ahimbisibwe, who scored 14 league goals, admitted KCCA lacked the consistency needed to sustain their title challenge.

‘I’m delighted for this wonderful season. I have always wanted to win the golden boot but my team didn’t win the trophy,’ Ahimbisibwe said.

‘We worked so hard but were unlucky. In the off-season, I want to work on my scoring and being more clinical because I missed a couple of chances this season.’

Stanbic Uganda Cup

Final: Saturday

Kitara vs. SC Villa

MUMBAI, INDIA. The Cricket Cranes will on Tuesday begin a fresh chapter of their historic Mumbai Tour when they trade the patience and control of 50-over cricket for the explosive demands of T20 competition against some of Mumbai’s top franchise sides.

Barely 48 hours after sealing a commanding 4-0 clean sweep over MCA Colts XI in the one-day series, coach Steve Tikolo’s side now enter a far different examination where momentum swings faster, batting intent matters more and mistakes are punished instantly.

Uganda open the T20 phase this morning against SoBo Mumbai Falcons at Dadoji Konddev Stadium in Thane West before facing North Mumbai Panthers on Tuesday and Triumph Knights Mumbai North East later in the week.

The Cricket Cranes arrive in the shorter format carrying significant confidence after their impressive adaptability on slow Indian surfaces during the 50-over leg where Uganda’s spin attack repeatedly strangled MCA Colts while several young players announced themselves with mature performances.

But Tikolo believes the clean sweep will count for little if Uganda fail to reset mentally for the demands of T20 cricket. ‘The boys must understand this is now a completely different format,’ Tikolo said ahead of the opening game.

‘T20 cricket tests decision-making under pressure and adapting quickly to situations. What pleased us in the 50-over series was how the players trusted processes and adapted to the conditions. That discipline must continue here.’

Fresh faces

Tikolo and assistant coach Jackson Ogwang are expected to spread opportunities further across the touring squad with national trialists Tanvish Vaze, Gerald Olipa and Anas Baig all pushing for involvement during the T20 leg.

Top-order batter Vaze has impressed coaches with his ambidextrous bowling abilities while explosive youngster Olipa could provide the aggressive middle-order intent Uganda may require in the shorter format. Frontline bowlers Juma Miyaji and Cosmas Kyewuta are also expected to return to the playing XI after sitting out the final 50-over fixture.

Uganda’s first opponents SoBo Mumbai Falcons represent one of the strongest sides in the T20 Mumbai League. Captained by Indian international Shreyas Iyer and backed by cricket legend Kapil Dev as brand ambassador, the Falcons recently reached the T20 Mumbai League final and are expected to provide Uganda with their sternest challenge yet on tour.

The Cricket Cranes will endure an early-morning three-hour, 100-kilometre drive to Thane for today’s opening fixture but captain Fred Achelam insists the squad remain highly motivated to extend their winning momentum.

‘The energy in the camp is very good after the 4-0 sweep but we know the job is not finished,’ Achelam said. ‘We want to start the T20s strongly and continue showing that Uganda can compete in these conditions. The boys are hungry and excited for this challenge.’

Bigger mission

Beyond results, Uganda view the Mumbai Tour as critical preparation for upcoming ICC assignments including the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League B in Tanzania this August and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifiers in Nigeria later this year.

Cricket Uganda chairman Jackson Kavuma is also expected later this week to formally sign a five-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Mumbai Cricket Association, strengthening ties aimed at improving player pathways, coaching structures, women’s cricket and international exposure for Ugandan players.

The partnership has already eased logistical and financial pressures on Cricket Uganda after MCA leadership agreed to support accommodation, match organisation and internal transport during this tour. Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president Ajinkya Naik described the partnership as part of MCA’s commitment towards growing cricket globally while Kavuma hailed it as a major milestone for Ugandan cricket.

For Uganda, however, the immediate focus remains on proving their 50-over dominance was no accident. The conditions will remain demanding. The opposition will likely become stronger. But after a flawless sweep in the longer format, the Cricket Cranes now have an opportunity to show their growth stretches beyond one format alone.

UGANDA TOUR OF MUMBAI – T20 SERIES

May 26: Uganda vs. SoBo Mumbai Falcons, Dadoji Konddev Stadium – 8am

May 27: Uganda vs. North Mumbai Panthers, Adani Stadium – 8:30am

May 29: Uganda vs. Triumph Knights Mumbai NE, Adani Stadium – 8:30am

May 30: Uganda vs. TBC, Adani Stadium – 6:30am

TALKING POINT

Format Shift. Uganda’s biggest challenge will be the mental adjustment from 50-over control to T20 urgency. The Cricket Cranes succeeded in the ODI leg through patience, disciplined spin bowling and smart fielding structures. T20 cricket, however, demands instant tactical clarity, fearless batting intent and quicker adaptation under pressure. How Uganda manages that transition could determine whether this Mumbai Tour becomes merely a successful series victory or a genuine high-performance breakthrough ahead of major ICC tournaments later this year.

Hussein Mbajja, the reigning Mr Uganda, never dreamt to be a professional bodybuilder. But nowadays, it is the sport that defines him more than anything else.

Nicknamed Finito, he started working out in 2010, but his goal was to simply enhance his physic and strength as an aspiring rugby player.

By then Mbajja was pursuing his Bachelors in business computing at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) in 2009 while playing prop for the university rugby team.

‘I was inspired by Isaac Kimera, who was drafted into the Warriors team while still in high school. He had an amazing body,’ Mbajja said.

He started working out in a gym located at the old Nakivubo Stadium and in a small gym at MUBS.

‘I also played for the Buffaloes but it wasn’t too long before I quit. I couldn’t handle the pressure and physicality of the game,’ Mbajja remembers.

But he did not stop lifting weights until he joined Cranes Bank in 2012, when he no longer worked out consistently. ‘Still, people admired my body.’

In 2014, he joined East Coast, a gym in Naguru, mostly renowned for boxing, where he met competitive bodybuilders. He watched more bodybuilding events, mainly Mr Kampala and Mr Uganda through the generations that inherited the dominant Ivan Byekwaso and Isaac Mubikirwa, among others. ‘But I was simply watching guys flaunting amazing bodies.’

At University of Pain gym in downtown Kampala in 2017, Mbajja met more bodybuilders like Mubikirwa, Ricky, the Tiktoker, among others. But in 2018, he felt bored. ‘I was tired of doing the same thing month after month. Nothing more.’

But Hamid Kayanja, the lead trainer at Shaq Gym in Kireka, had a better idea. ‘Choose between bodybuilding or powerlifting and start training for competitions,’ he advised him. Mbajja chose bodybuilding. And started training with a purpose.

Makeover

‘He came when he was extremely fat. I think it was a round 2020. I started him with a dance class before we started doing weights,’

Kayanja recalled. ‘He became consistent because of the results he was seeing.’

He then introduced him to intense, rigorous, sometimes painful, training to shed that fat belly and tone the abdominal muscles, lats, biceps, etc.

‘It was a complete makeover. I used to do gym but ate anyhow. Now I had to first reset the body to its factory settings before I rebuilt it for competition. It wasn’t easy at all,’ Mbajja said.

He dropped from 96kg to 70kg. ‘It took me some time to lose that fat and build enough muscle. Without quick results many give up.’ But it takes time, money and discipline.

Then after about a year, Mbajja wanted to train for the stage.

‘I told him that that requires more serious training and strict dieting to impress the judges,’ Kayanja remembered.

A good trainer guaranteed, Mbajja paid Shs300,000 to Lameck Muwanga, an experienced bodybuilder, for a dieting plan.

Still, he had to trust the process, and maintain discipline. ‘Because the body you messed up with fat for 15 years couldn’t simply change overnight.’

Mbajja and his trainer said diet contributes 60 percent to maintaining a good, healthy body, while gym work and lifestyle contribute 30 percent and 10 percent respectively.

‘Because anyone can go to the gym. But most people eat recklessly. They don’t want to quit their beer, posho, junk, etc.’

Eat this, not that

People say bodybuilders eat a lot, but Mbajja said it’s wrong. ‘We eat more value than volume. We have food scales: 100g of rice (about a handful), 160g of protein a day. Few people can manage this.

‘If I need a whole chicken, I’ll eat it in four portions, each 160g. And only chicken breast and drumsticks off-season; and only chicken breast when preparing for an event.’

That’s why bodybuilding is expensive, he said. Because bodybuilders need fewer carbs and more protein, but protein is expensive.

While your plate is dominated by rice and posho, a bodybuilder’s plate should be dominated by eggs, chicken, beef, fish-especially Nile Perch-all expensive.

But generally, it takes time to study what works for your body and what doesn’t. They might recommend 100gm of carbs, and find out that 150gm won’t be bad for you either. For sometime. You can resort to 100gm towards the event so that you retain a good size without accumulating too much fat. It’s trial and error.

Messy debut

It was 2021. The world in the middle of two covid-19 lockdowns when Mbajja made his first stage appearance. ‘It was a deadly debut. It was the first time I ever lost 20kg. The body was shocked.’

He subjected himself to extreme deficits: very few carbs, more proteins, more water. ‘After the first month, I was literally a skeleton, with protruding jaws. My spouse even tested for HIV, suspecting I might have caught the virus.’

His 93kg became 70kg. But he was far from competition shape. ‘I just became loose but my muscles weren’t sharp enough. My diet plan did not emphasise the importance of proteins. So, instead of eating about 30 boiled eggs a day, I ate about four.’

On his debut, at the 2021 Mr Kampala Championship at Qibz Gym, Kyebando May 1, he weighed 71kg. He finished fourth among five welterweights, behind Francis Ssemuyaba, fellow debutant Yasin Kibirango, and Lubega, who qualified for the final, where the unlikely Daniel Mwesigwa took the top crown.

‘My muscle size and definition weren’t good enough. Stage fright also cost me a lot. I panicked, pulled off poses before the judge’s cue. I was nervous.’

Post-competition error

After weeks of pre-competition starvation, a bodybuilder’s body craves everything. ‘But if you are not serious, you may die because the body needs time to regain its normal settings.’

If your stomach is picky, Mbajja warns, you may need only sugary juice, yoghurt, and some sweet bread, for at least the first week after competition.

You must avoid oily, fried stuff. But most debutants go to competition venues with bags of the foods they have missed for months. Most pay a hefty price: terrible fevers and stomach aches.

‘I almost died. At home my had filled the table with pilau, fried chicken, chips, juice; all my favourites.’

He ate as though he was in competition. The following morning, the same body that had craved anything, rebelled. ‘I was rushed to hospital with a terrible running stomach, fever, and headache. I threw up almost everything.’

That is when colleagues told him that he should have waited before resuming normal meals. It was a lesson learnt the hardest way.

Finally

At his Mr Uganda debut in November 2021 at Horse Power Gym in Muyenga, Mbajja emerged last among welterweights. ‘Since my first stage debut I had lost weight but struggled to lose fat.’ But all those lessons shaped him for the future.

For the 2022 Mr Kampala, he dropped into lightweight, coming second to the more experienced Axam Kisekka (RIP). At his second Mr Uganda attempt at Mt Zion Hotel in downtown Kampala, Mbajja came second in the category.

‘I felt deflated. I wanted to take a break. I was improving but I wasn’t hitting my goal of competing in the final, after spending all that much money, research and time. ‘

But sometimes just when you feel demoralised, your dream drifts closer. At the inaugural Mr Central Region Championship-which replaced Mr Kampala-in September 2023, Mbajja produced his best version, defeated all welterweights, eventually making his first appearance in a final.

Rose Gardens, Bweyogerere was near his home area and he enjoyed some fan vibes. In the final, he beat experienced opponents like Hassan Ssentongo, David Ssetaba, Kisekka, before finishing a close second to 2019 Mr Kampala Godfrey Lubega.

‘It was painful. Everyone knew I had won. But the judges…’

It’s the closest he came to overall gold. ‘The best my body has been conditioned ever.’ He posed well, exuded confidence. Almost everyone rooted for him. But the judges, perhaps, preferred a seasoned competitor.

From then on, Mbajja became a serious contender, eventually winning the 2025 Mr Central crown at UMA Multipurpose Hall in September. Light heavyweight Simon Kyagulanyi and lightweight Abdul Musana took silver and bronze, among others.

‘We don’t consider size alone. Your upper body must match your lower body and Number One scored highly here. Number Two was not bad but comparably, it was 80 vs 20 percent,’ Kenyan legend Paul Mwangale, who was chief judge, endorsed Mbajja’s victory.

Ex-champions Lubega and Mwesigwa did not compete. But Mbajja refused to call it his advantage. Three months later, he clinched the Mr Uganda crown in December 2025, in Gulu. ‘I was in fine form. I could have beaten anyone,’ Mbajja said of his biggest victory ever.

Unbeatable Kenyans

After two local events in three months, Mbajja had chosen to miss the Mr. 001 Championship in December 2025. He felt too drained to travel nearly 1200km by bus to Mombasa.

‘But I’m very grateful my employer, Engineering Solutions, bought me a return air ticket as a gift for winning Mr Uganda.’

He reached Mombasa weighing 81kg but Steven Ssali, a coach and judge, advised him to trim to middleweight (76-80kg) where the weight range was narrower than in light heavyweights (81-90kg). On the event’s eve, Ssali took him through rigorous workout under the punishing

Mombasa heat until he dropped to 80kg, just within the middleweight limit. ‘That workout almost killed me.’

At the prejudging stage, Mbajja faced 20 highly competitive middleweights. ‘Just finishing among the top eight was an achievement.’

On stage, he finished sixth among the eight middleweights, though he says he deserved top three.

At the East African Championships in Eldoret, in December 2023, Mbajja finished seventh in the welterweight category. ‘I was in good shape but such is the level of competition there.’

Mbajja said Kenyans also beat Ugandans due to experience. ‘Most of them are 38 and above, no wonder many also compete in the Masters. We are competing against guys like Mwangale, who always tormented Ivan Byekwaso, seasoned guys like Dennis Otieno, Wallace Ragu, among others.’

In fact, Peter Ochino, who won Mbajja’s middleweight category, also won the Masters crown in Mombasa.

Managing stress, mental drain

The hardest season for natural bodybuilders is that three months of rigorous workouts and strict dieting ahead of competition.

‘We lose weight, become slim, frail and lose the confidence of appearing in public. We suffer mood swings, become easily irritable due to the sharp decline in dopamine.’ Dopamine is the hormone responsible for pleasure and satisfaction.

‘That’s why it’s wiser working out during day when gyms are less populated to avoid unwanted attention. Otherwise, you may pick up a fight with anyone.’

During that time the muscles are weak, yet you need to train even harder to attain or maintain competition shape.

Yet Mbajja still must go to the field and meet customers in his main job.

‘It’s quite hard. But I must do it because it’s my main income source, and customer satisfaction is nonnegotiable.’ He is exempted from work in the last three weeks to the competition.

Even with the Kenya Bodybuilding Federation disbanded, Mbajja said Kenyan bodybuilders still perform better than Ugandans because they have endorsements from their gyms and beverage companies.

‘That obviously gives them a competitive advantage over us. You don’t want to go into a competition with that stress of ‘where shall I get the protein? ‘how will I pay my bills, etc.?’

‘We are always in calorie deficits, hence mentally stressed. So, you need creatine, amino acids, fish oil to compensate for that deficit. Otherwise, stress will shrink your muscle volume, and affect your competitiveness.’

Natural vs steroids

Another Kenyan advantage over Ugandans is performance enhancers. When we met in February, Mbajja was offseason and weighed 96kg. But if he wanted to trim for competition, he could lose only five kilogrammes using anabolic steroids, for instance. This could give him a bulky and dry body, ideal for gold. That’s what most Kenyans do, lately.

In 2020, the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya banned three, including 2015 Mr Kenya Michael Otieno Obuya after failing doping tests.

In 2024, another bodybuilder Gachau Njoroge confessed extensively using drugs to maintain his physique, meanwhile warning others about the same.

But Uganda-based bodybuilders are natural. So, they must undergo the stressful routine of dietary limitations, strenuous workout to lose fat and attain the right conditioning. In the process, one may lose about 16kg.

Not that the Kenyans are cheating. ‘Nowadays, the adverts clearly indicate that the events are open to even steroid users,’ Mbajja said.

The steroid temptation is real for any ambitious bodybuilder. But it has repercussions. Ordinarily, clean bulking is much easier and affordable. One cycle can cost you about Shs1m and gives you 10kg in muscle mass in about 12 weeks. Yet the same money spent on creatine-a natural protein supplement-may give you only two kilogrammes in muscle mass in the same time. ‘You see the world of difference.’

But in the long run, steroids become expensive. ‘These drugs affect your organs: the heart, liver, kidney, etc. So, you must undergo medical review almost every month. And you need more drugs to support your organs.’ Plus post-cycle therapy to revert the hormones to normal. Yet some users become addicted, worsening the health and financial risks.

Building personal brand; goals

Having won the Mr Central and Mr Uganda crowns, Mbajja is targeting the international stage. But he said that will depend on sponsorship.

‘I spend at least Shs2m in preps,’ Mbajja said, reserving special thanks to his official sponsors Suplex Gym and Core Fitness Gym, Ntinda, where he has trained free since 2023.

‘But the prize money we get at local tournaments doesn’t make a difference. We’re mostly driven by passion because even those who work as gym instructors don’t earn enough because clients still undervalue fitness instruction. Someone who easily splashes Shs600,000 in a bar in one night won’t give it to the gym instructor for a month.’

To mitigate those deficits, Mbajja is trying to enhance his personal brand to secure some endorsements.

‘But I have to first change mindsets and convince potential sponsors that bodybuilders are the best figures to make adverts for drinking water, milk, yoghurt because we understand the value of those foods to the body more than anybody else. But it’s confusing that it’s musicians who make those ads.’

To fast-track his goal, Mbajja has offered to volunteer for an energy drink company, and a lemon powder maker, but they did not buy the idea. But recently, a popular mattress maker gave him an opportunity and he is hopeful one day he will secure a good deal.

BRIEFLY

Nickname: Finito

Official coach: Hamid Kayanja

Trains at: Core Fitness Gym, Ntinda

Sponsor: Suplex Gym

Divisions: welterweight, middleweight, light heavy

Honours: Mr Central, 2025; Mr Uganda 2025

Fufa president Moses Magogo has allayed concerns about his future at the institution by claiming he has not been asked to resign.

Following the political pressure that saw former Speaker of Parliament and Magogo’s wife Anita Annet Among, also Woman Member of Parliament for Bukedea district, relinquish her ambition for a second term in office, it has been hugely reported that the Fufa president is also being asked to leave office.

But while speaking at Sheraton Hotel where the national U-17 men’s team Cubs were feted for qualifying for a second successive Fifa U-17 World Cup due later this year in Qatar, Magogo delved a bit into his future after speaking about Fufa’s achievements and thanking government for funding over the years.

“Lastly, I have been told that I have not thanked the media…,” Magogo, who has also showed his defiance by keeping in public spaces amidst his wife’s troubles, said.

“Tebabatisatisa (don’t be afraid). No one has called me to resign. I am still here and we have work to do,” Magogo, also Member of Parliament Budiope East said.