Ministry of Education welcomes new sports minister

The Minister of Education and Sports Mrs. Janet Museveni has said her Ministry welcomes the new State Minister for Sports Hon. Denis Hamson Obua and assured him that many people within and outside the sector are willing to give their support and see sports in the country excel and the Ugandan flag flying higher. She said, “This is God’s doing in His own timing in this season. He chose to change the leadership of the Sports sub sector and we must thank Him because He never makes mistakes. We thank God for bringing us a new member of our team and I have no doubt in my mind that He has a new mandate for Hon Bakkabulindi”. She said the Sports sub sector requires passion and planning and the Ministry is happy to have Hon. Obua with these qualities in this season.

Mrs. Janet Museveni was speaking during the handover of office by the outgoing Sports Minister Hon. Charles Bakkabulindi at a function held at State House Nakasero on Friday. The handover was also witnessed by the State Ministers for Higher Education Dr. J.C Muyingo and for Primary Education Rosemary Seninde, officials from the Education and Sports Ministry led by the Permanent Secretary Alex Kakooza, leaders from the National Council of Sports and others from the sports fraternity. Mrs. Museveni thanked the outgoing Minister Bakkabulindi, whom she said had always been counted on for the memory of the Sports sector having been in charge for the last 14 years. She presented to him a plaque in recognition for his contribution to the Education and Sports sector during his tenure of service.

While handing over office Hon Charles Bakkabulindi thanked President Museveni for having appointed him Minister and retaining him for 14 years. He also thanked Mrs. Janet Museveni for her excellent leadership and guidance as Education and Sports Minister, the Ministers of State, technical staff and the sports fraternity for the cordial relationship and teamwork they have had. Bakkabulindi gave a detailed report of the Sports sub sector which comprises the Physical Education and Sports Department and the National Council of Sports. He pointed out that when he assumed office in 2005, the Department had a budget line of sh400m only and Uganda was proud of only one Gold medal by the late John Akibua, but he is proud that now the annual budget line is sh33b and there are at least 48 Gold Medals plus without counting the many Silver and Bronze medals.

Among other milestones he highlighted was that physical education was granted as a core and compulsory secondary school curriculum subject to improve equitable access to physical education and sports. He said that during his tenure 32 Government-aided sports secondary schools were established and development of sports facilities such as the redesigning and rehabilitation of six regional stadia in Bugembe, Kakyeka, Mbarara, Kabale, Masaka, Mbale and the ongoing construction of the National High- Altitude Training Centre Teryet was initiated.
He said the Sports sector is proud that the primary and secondary school competitions plus sports activities in Universities and other tertiary institutions are doing well, and that there is no more fighting in the various sports federations. He pointed out challenges including the obsolete laws and policies, insufficient resources, inadequate sports facilities at all levels, Local Governments not prioritizing physical education and Physical Education not yet being an examinable subject.

He said his successor’s first assignment should be to ensure continued support to the national sports teams to participate in international sports activities. He pointed out those that need support before the end of this month as the Boxers who require to go for the qualifiers and the Para-Olympic team which has to go to Morocco.
Bakkabulindi wished Obua a very successful and productive term of service. In his acceptance speech, the new sports state minister Hon. Denis Obua paid tribute to President Museveni for the trust and confidence bestowed in him and said he was gratified to be deployed to work with the mother of the nation.

He saluted the outgoing Sports Minister Bakkabulindi for the achievements registered during the 14 years of his tenure, saying that his wok will be to build on the strong foundation set and to see the sports sector to another level.
Hon. Denis Obua said that the 1964 National Council of Sports Act is obsolete and requires to be repealed in totality and therefore called upon all stakeholders to join hands and fast track this in order to have a sports law that will stand the test of time. He acknowledged that the challenges facing the sports sector are enormous and yet the expectations of the public are high and the time to deliver the vision limited. He therefore called for teamwork to be able to deliver.

Obua said that with effect from next week, he would be hitting the road for the field and will start with touring the department of sports in the Ministry, the National Council of Sports and federations affiliated to it, national and regional sports facilities including Teryet National High-Altitude Training Centre in Kapchorwa. He pointed out the challenge of inadequate planning for sports activities by the respective federations which needs to addressed immediately and handed over a document about what he called eleven critical major sports activities where Team Uganda must participate in 2020.