President Museveni Honored For Transformative Leadership In Sports As CAF Celebrate East African Presidents.

President Museveni Honored For Transformative Leadership In Sports As CAF Awards Celebrate East African Presidents.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has bestowed its prestigious President’s Outstanding Achievement Award upon the Heads of State of Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, recognizing their exceptional contributions to the development of football on the continent. At the 2025 CAF Awards held in Rabat, Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni stood out prominently for his long-standing, deliberate, and strategic investment in sports infrastructure, athlete welfare, and the overall growth of the game in Uganda.

For Uganda, the award does not come as a surprise. President Museveni has, over the years, championed systematic investment in sports as part of national development, consistently allocating substantial national resources toward infrastructure, talent development, and sports governance.

Under his stewardship, Uganda has seen the expansion, renovation, and modernization of major sports facilities, including national stadiums and regional grounds, enabling the country to host international competitions and give athletes world-class training spaces.

Government-led funding has also facilitated the construction and upgrading of training pitches, athletics tracks, and community sports complexes, strengthening the country’s sports ecosystem from the grassroots to elite levels.
One of the most significant areas where Museveni’s influence has been felt is in football development, where increased government funding has supported national teams across categories, from the Uganda Cranes to youth and women’s sides. Over the years, the government has provided consistent financial support for team preparations, bonuses, residential training camps, and international competitions creating stability and professionalism within the sport.

The state’s growing investment has also supported football academies and the development of regional centers of excellence, nurturing young talent and improving pathways for players to compete both domestically and internationally.
President Museveni’s commitment has also extended to policy reforms that fortified sports administration.

His government played a key role in strengthening the sports legal framework, ensuring transparent governance, better athlete protection, and increased government oversight over sports federations. This institutional strengthening has allowed federations, particularly FUFA, to operate with improved capacity and strategic clarity, enabling Uganda to make significant strides in continental competitions.

Beyond football, Museveni has championed holistic sports development, supporting athletics, boxing, rugby, netball, and other disciplines that have earned Uganda international recognition. Government funding has enabled elite athletes to receive training scholarships, participate in global championships, and develop professional careers. Uganda’s rise in athletics, with multiple global medals, is rooted in improved training infrastructure and government-supported high-altitude facilities that emerged during Museveni’s tenure.

CAF’s recognition of President Museveni is therefore a reflection of years of consistent, tangible, and visionary investment in sports. While the award celebrated three regional leaders, Museveni’s legacy in transforming Uganda’s sports landscape remains particularly outstanding