Five banned in Uganda over match fixing
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Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 13.03.26. | 19:28
The vice, however, is not unique to Uganda. Similar allegations have surfaced in the Kenyan Premier League, where several coaches and football stakeholders have previously raised concerns
The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) has provisionally suspended five individuals over alleged involvement in a match-fixing scheme linked to a Uganda Premier League fixture between Kitara FC and Express FC played on 21 December 2024.
In a statement released on Thursday, FUFA said its Ethics and Disciplinary Committee’s Investigatory Chamber launched investigations after receiving a betting integrity alert from FIFA indicating suspicious betting patterns around the match.
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According to the federation, the alert suggested the match may have been manipulated for betting purposes, with prior knowledge that Express FC would lose and concede at least five goals.
Those provisionally suspended include former Uganda national football team midfielder Mike Mutyaba, Express FC CEO Ashraf Miiro, goalkeeper Emmanuel Kalyowa, Ashraf Mbazira and Ivan Katende.
Preliminary findings indicate that Mutyaba allegedly coordinated the manipulation together with Katende, a figure previously linked to match-fixing investigations within Ugandan football.
The probe further suggests that players, including Kalyowa and Mbazira, were recruited to influence events on the field.
FUFA also said Mutyaba reportedly took charge of technical matters on match day, taking advantage of the absence of Express FC head coach Badru Kaddu.
Investigators allege that betting accounts linked to Katende placed wagers through a Tanzanian betting company and won millions before the operator blocked payouts after detecting suspected fraud.
FUFA said it has engaged the Criminal Investigations Directorate to assist with the ongoing investigations.
The federation warned stakeholders against associating with the suspended individuals while disciplinary proceedings continue, saying the provisional bans are intended to safeguard the integrity of the game.
The vice, however, is not unique to Uganda. Similar allegations have surfaced in the Kenyan Premier League, where several coaches and football stakeholders have previously raised concerns over suspected match manipulation and called on the Football Kenya Federation to take decisive action.
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FKF president Hussein Mohammed has acknowledged the challenge, admitting that the federation currently lacks the financial capacity to effectively investigate and tackle the problem.
According to him, resource constraints have limited the federation’s ability to pursue comprehensive probes into suspected match-fixing cases.