Four Clubs Face UPL Relegation as League Returns to 16-Team Format
The 2026/27 StarTimes Uganda Premier League season will come with a major twist, with four clubs set to be relegated as the competition begins a gradual return to its traditional 16-team format.
Uganda Premier League Secretariat CEO Bernard Bainamani Bampaire confirmed the development while addressing journalists ahead of the new campaign, explaining that the expanded 18-team league is only a transitional arrangement.
“We shall relegate four clubs this season, the last four, then the following season we shall receive two clubs from the FUFA Big League and this will take us back to a 16-team league,” Bainamani said.
The decision means the battle at the bottom of the table is likely to be as intense as the race for the championship, with only 14 teams guaranteed Premier League football for the 2027/28 season before two new clubs are promoted from the FUFA Big League.
Biggest UPL season yet
The 2026/27 campaign will be the biggest in Uganda Premier League history, featuring 18 clubs and 306 matches.
Each club will play 34 matches, up from the 30 games played under the previous 16-team format. The total number of matches has therefore increased from 240 last season to 306 this campaign.
Bainamani revealed that the release of the fixtures was delayed by licensing challenges, but confirmed that all 18 clubs have now secured the necessary clearance to participate.
“We could have released the fixtures a month before kick-off but due to the challenges we all know, that couldn’t happen. We thank all the 18 clubs for having obtained the licence to participate in the 2026/27 UPL season,” he said.
The expanded schedule is expected to provide clubs with more competitive matches while increasing playing opportunities for players and potentially boosting the league’s commercial value.
Night matches get structured kick-off times
The league has also introduced clearer guidelines for evening fixtures following consultations with broadcasters StarTimes.
Bainamani confirmed that televised night matches will kick off at 8:00 PM, while other approved night fixtures will start at 7:00 PM.
“We have agreed with the broadcasters that only games for TV will be played at 8 PM but the rest of the night games are for 7 PM,” he clarified.
However, clubs intending to host night matches must first meet the required floodlight standards.
KCCA given time to improve floodlights
KCCA FC had requested to host some of its night matches at MTN Omondi Stadium, Lugogo, but the club has been given time to improve its floodlight system.
According to Bainamani, KCCA indicated that it needs approximately one month to install better lighting and therefore requested that its matches initially be played at 4:00 PM.
“When we contacted KCCA, they told us they will need like a month to put up better lights for night matches. They requested to have their games played at 4 PM,” Bainamani explained.
The UPL Secretariat is continuing with inspections of floodlight installations at venues across the country, with only fully certified stadiums permitted to host matches after 7:00 PM.
Survival battle set to dominate
With four teams destined for relegation, the 2026/27 season promises a fierce survival battle.
The expanded league gives clubs more matches and opportunities to accumulate points, but the return to a 16-team competition means the margin for error at the bottom will be extremely small.
As the champions begin their title defence and the new campaign gets underway, attention will not only be on who lifts the trophy but also on which four clubs will fall through the relegation trapdoor in what promises to be a historic UPL season.