Uganda parliament has stressed the need for more government funds in the budget for sports adding that the country will continue performing poorly both in local and international sports competition.
While reviewing Uganda’s performance in the just concluded 2016 Olympic Games that took place in Rio de Janeiro, members of parliament attributed the poor performance to under funding of those who took part in the Olympics and also the minister for sports Charles Bakabulindi.
Members of parliament say that government funding for sports has been minimum with no show of interest at all over the years.
According to Makindye west constituency Member of Parliament Allan Sewanyana the sports industry receives close to 12 billion shillings annually with only 400 million shillings disbursed to National council of Sports in the last four years in preparations for more than 54 games and sports associations.
“This means government provides on average 3.7 million shillings per association to be used to accommodate, train and provide per diem to various sportsmen and ladies who go to represent Uganda at various competitions”, Sewanyana told New Vision.
In this debate a number of members of parliament emphasized that parliament should use its appropriation powers to increase the sports budget.
However, members of parliament that included Abdul Katuntu who represent Samya Bugwe constituency and Senyonga Muyanja of Mukono south constituency criticized the sports minister Charles Bakabulindi for over staying in office and doing less to improve Uganda’s sports.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“The sports minister has turned the area into a home. He is not bothered. If he cannot perform, let him leave and government appoints others”[/perfectpullquote]
, Ssenyonga Muyanja said.
According to the New Vision, sports minister Charles Bakabulindi was not in parliament and neither was any minister from ministry of Education.
Uganda first participated in Olympic games in 1956, and has been sending athletes to compete in every summer Olympic games except in 1976.Ugandan athletes have won a total of seven medals, all in athletics and boxing.
In the recent Olympic Games a total of 21 athletes competed from the 3 sports category of games in Rio de Janeiro.
Featured Photo: Courtesy of Global plus news
