Bul’s rise from a mid-table afterthought to a genuine title force has been steady rather than sudden and now it has produced the one thing every club covets, a place in the league’s record books.
They have been close before, finishing second by one point to Villa in 2023/24 and third behind Nec and Vipers last season.
Since December 14, 2024, the Jinja side went 25 league matches unbeaten in a run that set new standards in local football’s recent history.
The run included 15 victories and ten draws where the edible oil makers netted 36 goals and conceded only 12.
That remarkable streak finally ended on Thursday afternoon when Kitara handed BUL a 1-0 defeat courtesy of Jimmy Kalema’s 11th-minute goal in Hoima. But before that loss, here is how BUL built the run.
The countdown started last December at Kitende in their 1-1 draw with Vipers, a club whose own famous 31-match home unbeaten run was ended by BUL in 2023. And in a twist that enriches the poetry of this record, Buls streak began against Vipers, the same club whose 31-match home unbeaten run was famously ended by Bul in a thrilling 3-2 upset at Kitende in 2023.
Bul ended their streak and now Vipers were first to feel the weight of Bul’s. They say football has its own cycles and now BUL are at the prime of one.
They have taken points in every possible manner. There have been tense stalemates at Nec and against Express, patient wins at home to Maroons, and a gritty comeback at UPDF where they squeezed out a 3-2 victory in the kind of chaotic away match that often resets unbeaten runs.
There have been controlled home displays like the 4-0 dismantling of Lugazi and the 3-0 dispatching of Mbale Heroes.
They have won at traditionally tricky grounds such as Wakiso, beaten title rivals like Vipers, Kitara, and SC Villa, and kept their nerve in suffocating games where the only route to survival was concentration.
Chemistry in defence
The spine of their defence has been their goalkeeping department that started with Joel Mutakubwa who featured in 17 of the 18 matches keeping 10 clean sheets in that stretch when he was still available for before leaving the club.
His departure ushered in his predecessor-now-successor, Tom Ikara who fit in with little fuss this season playing all their six games so far while producing four clean sheets and only two goals conceded. The handover could not have been cleaner.
In front of them, Bul have relied on a backline that has barely changed.
Skipper Walter Ochora and Nicholas Mwere missed matches only when suspended as both served eight and ten bans during that period but whenever available, they were automatic choices. Mwere played 16 of the 25 and Ochora 14.
Then there is Hillary Onek, the model of dependability who has, remarkably, missed only one match in the entire 25-game run. His availability alone has held the structure together.
Stability, shared responsibility
The midfield has been just as consistent. Pascal Ngobi and Martin Aprem have featured in 20 matches during the run and both have played in all six games this season.
Ngobi, in particular, has been on the pitch for every minute so far, a reflection of how much stability he brings to BUL’s transitions and ball recovery.
Up front, it has been more of a collective team effort rather than one prolific scorer because while Karim Ndugwa, who joined at the start of the run, played 14 of 18 matches, scoring eight goals, he has had a quiet start to the new season.
As he slowed down, Jerome Kirya rose to the moment. A central figure in this project, Kirya has featured in 22 of the 25 matches and in the last six has contributed two goals and three assists.
New signing Seiri Arigumaho added fresh energy, scoring two goals in his first two full starts, giving Bul a new threat as the second phase of the unbeaten run unfolded.
Even the academy graduates have played their part. Swabiri Mpassa and Isaac Musiima have both featured in 16 matches, while Salim Sowedi and Tom Babalanda have been steadily integrated with seven and three appearances respectively, all at the start of the year during the run.
The conveyor belt has kept the squad fresh without disrupting the identity.
Surviving Kikomeko’s disruption
The unbeaten run also had to withstand the turbulence that followed the Uganda Cup defeat to Kitara in Bul’s only loss in this period.
The chaos of that match left Kirya, Ochora and Mwere facing suspensions and coach Abbey Kikomeko also received a six-month ban but the team held steady.
First assistant Simeone Masaba maintained the rhythm, winning four of the five remaining matches after April 29 and securing a goalless draw against URA before leaving for the Uganda Cubs camp.
James Magala then oversaw two wins over Maroons (1-0) and Buhimba Saints (3-0) and a solid draw at Mbarara City.
Home return key
Their record might have been even stronger if they had not spent a difficult spell playing home matches at Lugazi. During that stretch, they managed just one win, four draws and two 2-0 defeats to UPDF and Mbarara City.
‘It affected our season,’ Bul’s chief executive officer Joseph Mutaka admitted. And the numbers back him up. Returning to Njeru restored the rhythm they needed in the unbeaten run.
They have played 13 home games in Njeru, won nine and drew four.
Early travel, organization
Bul’s attention to detail has also shown in how they handle away fixtures. They travel early, settle early and manage the environment before a ball is kicked.
Their long trip to Hoima this week likely began three or four days prior, something that is not out of luxury but organisation. Mutaka sums it up calmly:
‘Our chairman has emphasised early planning. Before matches, we always ensure players are in camp on time.’ Little details but they have produced big returns.
STARTIMES UGANDA PREMIER LEAGUEBul – 25 resultsNec 1-1 BulBul 0-0 ExpressBul 3-0 BuhimbaMbarara City 1-1 BulBul 1-0 MaroonsBul 0-0 URAUPDF 2-3 BulBul 1-0 MaroonsBul 1-0 VipersNec 1-1 BulBul 4-0 LugaziWakiso Giants 1-2 BulBul 0-0 PoliceKCCA 1-2 BulBul 1-0 SC VillaMbarara City 0-0 BulBul 2-1 URABul 1-0 KitaraBright Stars 0-2 BulBul 3-0 Mbale HeroesExpress 0-2 BulBul 1-1 Wakiso GiantsLugazi 1-2 BulBul 1-1 NecVipers 1-1 BulNumbers game15 wins, 10 draws, 36 goals scored, 12 goals conceded