NCS Clears 10 Sports Bodies for Registration, Rejects Five Applications Over Non-Compliance

The National Council of Sports (NCS) has approved 10 national sports organisations for registration under the National Sports Act, Cap. 151, while resolving to reject five other applications over failure to meet statutory requirements.

The decisions follow the expiry of remedial compliance periods granted to sports organisations seeking registration under the new legal framework introduced by the National Sports Act and the National Sports Regulations, 2025.

The NCS said its Board, at a meeting held on November 10, considered findings from a nationwide verification exercise, compliance reviews and petitions submitted against some of the applicant organisations before making resolutions on their registration status.

The organisations approved for registration include Uganda Rugby, Uganda Volleyball Federation and Cricket Uganda, which qualified as national sports federations.

Others approved as national sports associations are Uganda Woodball Federation, Uganda Aquatics, Uganda Handball Federation, Uganda Ludo Federation, Uganda Baseball and Softball Association and Uganda Draughts Federation.

The Council said the approved organisations would be issued Certificates of Registration in accordance with Section 13 of the National Sports Act.

The registration exercise follows the commencement of Section 7 of the National Sports Act and the gazettement of the National Sports Regulations, 2025, on March 14, 2025, which required all National Sports Organisations (NSOs) to regularise their legal status under the new framework.

According to NCS, 45 of the 51 organisations previously recognised under the repealed law applied for registration by the June 20, 2025 deadline.

The Council subsequently published the applications in the Uganda Gazette to allow public objections, conducted a desk review and undertook a nationwide due-diligence exercise in June 2025.

Following objections lodged against eight applicants, NCS identified compliance gaps and granted affected organisations additional time to address the concerns.

Organisations without objections initially received a five-month remedial period running from January 7 to June 7, 2026, while those affected by objections were given periods extending between July 27 and August 10, 2026.

After the first remedial period, the NCS Board issued Certificates of Registration to 11 fully compliant organisations on July 17, 2026, while seven substantially compliant organisations were subjected to independent verification of their participation across Uganda's districts.

Fourteen other organisations received a final one-month remedial period running from July 24 to August 24, 2026.

The Council later conducted physical verification in 116 districts between August 12 and 19, 2026, engaging District Sports Officers, district officials and other stakeholders.

The assessment was subsequently extended to all 146 districts through telephone consultations with sports officers and stakeholders in the remaining 30 districts.

NCS also reviewed compliance submissions from the 14 organisations granted the final remedial period and six applicants whose applications had attracted objections.

Uganda Rugby qualifies for federation status

In assessing the national spread of sports organisations, the Council applied the statutory requirement that a national sports association must demonstrate participation in at least 73 of Uganda's 146 districts, while a national sports federation must demonstrate participation in at least 110 districts.

Following physical and supplementary verification, Uganda Rugby qualified for registration as a national sports federation.

Uganda Woodball Federation, Federation of Motorsport Clubs of Uganda, Uganda Golf Union and Uganda Aquatics also met the national association threshold.

However, Kabaddi Federation of Uganda and Uganda Squash Rackets Association did not attain the minimum participation requirements.

The Council further examined the 14 organisations that had been granted the final remedial period.

Ten addressed the previously identified compliance concerns and were found eligible for registration, although some qualified for association status rather than federation status.

These included Uganda Volleyball Federation, Uganda Ludo Federation, Uganda Handball Federation, Uganda Baseball and Softball Association, Gymnastics Uganda, Uganda Zurkhaneh Association, Uganda Judo Association, American Football Federation of Uganda, Uganda Cycling Association and Uganda Skating Association.

Uganda Handball Federation, Uganda Ludo Federation, Gymnastics Uganda and American Football Federation of Uganda had applied for federation status but their verified district participation and structures only qualified them for association status.

The American Football Federation of Uganda had also resolved at an Extraordinary General Assembly held on August 7, 2026, to register initially as an association.

Uganda Archery substantially met the registration requirements, although questions remained regarding information about its membership composition and its General Assembly held on May 30, 2026.

Uganda Climbing and Uganda Weightlifting Federation remained non-compliant with important statutory requirements, including national spread and lawful election of leadership.

Uganda Hockey Association was also assessed separately. Although NCS accepted its justification concerning its audited books of accounts, the organisation still had outstanding issues relating to national spread, participation, election of leadership and alignment of its constitution. 

Cricket Uganda and Uganda Draughts Federation clear compliance hurdles

Among the six organisations whose applications had attracted objections, Cricket Uganda and Uganda Draughts Federation addressed the material compliance concerns and were found eligible for registration.

Uganda Draughts Federation demonstrated participation in 114 districts, exceeding the minimum threshold required for federation status.

However, the Council observed that its membership comprised clubs only, whereas Regulation 13(3) requires a national sports federation to have both clubs and associations among its membership.

Consequently, Uganda Draughts Federation qualified for registration as a national sports association rather than a federation.

The remaining four applicants, Uganda Rowing, Uganda Darts Association, Uganda Lacrosse Association and VX Uganda, were found to have outstanding compliance deficiencies.

Uganda Rowing addressed several constitutional and administrative requirements but failed to meet the national spread threshold for either association or federation status and did not satisfy the statutory quorum required for elective general assemblies.

Uganda Darts Association fell short of requirements relating to national spread, legitimate election of its executive committee and having a properly drafted and approved constitution.

For Uganda Lacrosse Association, verification of submitted information raised serious questions about the reliability of the information provided.

VX Uganda, meanwhile, failed to submit remedial documentation despite the expiry of the prescribed period and follow-up by NCS. 

Five applications face rejection

In its November 10 resolutions, the NCS Board resolved that applications by Uganda Climbing, Uganda Weightlifting Federation, VX Uganda, Uganda Squash Rackets Association and Kabaddi Federation of Uganda should be rejected in accordance with Section 12(3)(b) of the National Sports Act.

The affected organisations will be notified in writing of the reasons for the proposed rejection and given an opportunity to be heard under Section 12(4) of the Act and Regulation 7(7).

The Council clarified that rejection of an application does not automatically revoke a certificate previously issued under the repealed law.

Where an application is rejected within the parameters of the law, NCS will commence the statutory revocation process under Section 15 of the Act and Regulation 10, including written notification and an opportunity for the organisation to be heard.

Upon revocation, the organisation will cease to operate as a National Sports Organisation, be removed from the register and have the revocation published in the Uganda Gazette and other media of wide circulation. 

Six organisations face further scrutiny over petitions

The Board also deferred decisions on five organisations pending the resolution of petitions and complaints lodged against them.

These are the Federation of Motorsport Clubs of Uganda, Uganda Golf Union, Gymnastics Uganda, Uganda Cycling Association and Uganda Lacrosse Association.

The complaints mainly concern the validity of general assemblies, legitimacy of elections, constitutional amendments, membership relied upon during registration and, in some cases, financial accountability.

NCS said the affected organisations would be formally notified of the complaints and their potential implications for registration and given an opportunity to respond.

The Council will also facilitate the organisations and respective petitioners or complainants to resolve the issues raised.

Where an organisation fails to demonstrate substantive compliance in light of the petitions and complaints, NCS said it would commence the statutory process for rejection of the respective application.

The Board also directed further verification of information submitted by Uganda Zurkhaneh Association, Uganda Judo Association, Uganda Skating Association, Uganda Archery and American Football Federation of Uganda.

The verification will particularly examine the existence and eligibility of clubs and associations relied upon by the applicants before final decisions are made. 

Uganda Hockey, Darts, Rowing and Lacrosse granted additional time

The NCS Board granted Uganda Hockey Association an additional one-month period to address its outstanding compliance issues after accepting the organisation's justification concerning its audited books of accounts.

Uganda Darts Association, Uganda Rowing and Uganda Lacrosse Association were also granted a final one-month period from the date of written notification to rectify their outstanding deficiencies.

The Council noted that these organisations had previously not benefited from the one-month remedial period extended to other applicants who were not affected by objections.

NCS emphasised that no Certificates of Registration would be issued to the organisations unless they demonstrate full compliance by the end of the additional period. 

Registration certificates valid for one year

The Council further clarified that only organisations issued with Certificates of Registration under the National Sports Act, Cap. 151, will be recognised by NCS as the lawful governing bodies of their respective sports.

Registration will be valid for one year, subject to annual renewal and continuous monitoring by the Council. 

The new legal framework also requires registered sports associations and federations to take steps to de-register as trusts with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.

According to NCS, the Attorney General advised that organisations registered under the new law should not maintain two separate legal personalities for the same purpose.

Under Section 7(3) of the National Sports Act, a registered national sports association or federation becomes a body corporate with perpetual succession and may, in its corporate name, acquire, hold and dispose of movable and immovable property and sue or be sued.

Consequently, organisations issued with registration certificates must furnish NCS with evidence of their de-registration as trusts.

The Council also said organisations whose applications have been deferred or granted additional remedial periods will have their status determined by the Board after completion of the respective processes.

NCS calls for stronger governance in sports

Concluding the review, NCS said the exercise marked the end of the first phase of remedial compliance periods granted under the registration process.

The Council maintained that it had applied the principles of fairness, transparency and due process by giving applicants several opportunities to address identified deficiencies and independently verifying their claims.

It commended organisations that had attained compliance and urged those with pending matters to use the remaining opportunities to regularise their status.

The statement was issued by Dr. Ogwel Benard Patrick (PhD), General Secretary of the National Council of Sports.

The registration exercise is aimed at establishing credible, accountable and well-governed national sports organisations operating within the requirements of the National Sports Act and the National Sports Regulations, 2025.