Mandela Retains SC Villa Presidency as Shs100m Nomination Fee Keeps Rivals Out

[Da Dona]

Widely regarded as Uganda’s biggest and most successful football club, SC Villa has been drawn into a heated governance debate after the introduction of a Shs100 million non-refundable nomination fee for candidates seeking to contest for the club’s presidency ahead of the March 22 elections.

The decision has sparked criticism from one of the aspirants, Farouk Meywa, who has publicly questioned the justification for the fee and petitioned the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) to intervene in the electoral process.

Speaking to NTV, Meywa expressed dissatisfaction with the structure of the election, arguing that the fee is excessively high and may be intended to block certain individuals from challenging the incumbent leadership.

“You cannot tell me that the president of the country pays Shs20 million for nomination and a president of a sports club pays Shs100 million. On what cause? On what merit?” Meywa said.

Meywa has also asked FUFA to appoint an independent committee to oversee the election, saying this would guarantee transparency and fairness in the process.

His concerns are further amplified by the fact that candidates contesting for the presidency of FUFA itself are required to pay Shs10 million as nomination fees, making the SC Villa presidential fee ten times higher than that of the national football governing body.

The former Villa player believes his prospects of stabilising the club and rebuilding relations with its fan base are being undermined by what he describes as barriers within the election process.

However, the decision has been defended by the Chairperson of the club’s Board of Trustees, Gerald Ssendawula, who insists the fee was neither imposed by the leadership nor arbitrarily introduced.
According to Ssendawula, the fee was proposed and approved by fans during a general assembly held in Ntinda, Kampala, last Sunday.

The race for the presidency currently includes Dennis Ssebugwawo, Joseph Kuguluma, Simeon Bulezi, and Farouk Meywa, all seeking to challenge the incumbent leadership.

The incumbent, Hajji Omar Mandela, has served as president of SC Villa for about five years after assuming office in 2021 following an unopposed election.
During his tenure, the club won the 2023–24 Uganda Premier League title, extending its record to 17 league championships, reinforcing its status the most decorated club in the country.

Beyond football administration, Mandela is also a prominent businessman and heads the Mandela Group of Companies, which operates several well-known brands including Cafe Javas, City Oil, and City Tyres.
This status justifies why the opponents are decrying the exorbitant 100 million and how it favors Mandela.

With the March 22 polls approaching, attention now turns to whether FUFA will respond to Meywa’s petition and whether the dispute over the nomination fee could reshape the contest for leadership at one of Uganda’s most historic football institutions.

 

[Eronda]

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Widely regarded as Uganda’s biggest and most successful football club, SC Villa has been drawn into a heated governance debate after the introduction of a Shs100 million non-refundable nomination fee for candidates seeking to contest for the club’s presidency ahead of the March 22 elections.

The decision has sparked criticism from one of the aspirants, Farouk Meywa, who has publicly questioned the justification for the fee and petitioned the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) to intervene in the electoral process.

Speaking to NTV, Meywa expressed dissatisfaction with the structure of the election, arguing that the fee is excessively high and may be intended to block certain individuals from challenging the incumbent leadership.

“You cannot tell me that the president of the country pays Shs20 million for nomination and a president of a sports club pays Shs100 million. On what cause? On what merit?” Meywa said.

Meywa has also asked FUFA to appoint an independent committee to oversee the election, saying this would guarantee transparency and fairness in the process.

His concerns are further amplified by the fact that candidates contesting for the presidency of FUFA itself are required to pay Shs10 million as nomination fees, making the SC Villa presidential fee ten times higher than that of the national football governing body.

The former Villa player believes his prospects of stabilising the club and rebuilding relations with its fan base are being undermined by what he describes as barriers within the election process.

However, the decision has been defended by the Chairperson of the club’s Board of Trustees, Gerald Ssendawula, who insists the fee was neither imposed by the leadership nor arbitrarily introduced.
According to Ssendawula, the fee was proposed and approved by fans during a general assembly held in Ntinda, Kampala, last Sunday.

The race for the presidency currently includes Dennis Ssebugwawo, Joseph Kuguluma, Simeon Bulezi, and Farouk Meywa, all seeking to challenge the incumbent leadership.

The incumbent, Hajji Omar Mandela, has served as president of SC Villa for about five years after assuming office in 2021 following an unopposed election.
During his tenure, the club won the 2023–24 Uganda Premier League title, extending its record to 17 league championships, reinforcing its status the most decorated club in the country.

Beyond football administration, Mandela is also a prominent businessman and heads the Mandela Group of Companies, which operates several well-known brands including Cafe Javas, City Oil, and City Tyres.
This status justifies why the opponents are decrying the exorbitant 100 million and how it favors Mandela.

With the March 22 polls approaching, attention now turns to whether FUFA will respond to Meywa’s petition and whether the dispute over the nomination fee could reshape the contest for leadership at one of Uganda’s most historic football institutions.

He is now behaving like Moses Magogo the corrupt Fufa President

 

[Da Dona]

Just in: Incumbent Omar Mandela has been declared president of SC Villa after other aspirants failed to return their nomination forms ahead of the club’s presidential elections.

Mandela, who has led the club since 2021, will therefore continue as president for Uganda’s most successful football club unopposed, extending his tenure at the 17-time league champions.

The outcome follows weeks of controversy surrounding the Shs100 million non-refundable nomination fee, which several aspirants had criticised as excessively high. Former Villa player Farouk Meywa, one of the hopefuls, had earlier petitioned the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) to intervene, arguing the fee could lock out potential challengers.

The absence of challengers has effectively handed Mandela another term in office, with the Shs100 million nomination requirement widely seen as a key factor that shaped the outcome of the race. Meanwhile, despite the earlier petition, FUFA is yet to intervene or issue a formal position on the matter.