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The situation came to a head during a high-stakes meeting at the State House in Nakasero, where representatives from the National Council of Sports (NCS), UNF, and former She Cranes players met with the Minister of Education and Sports and First Lady Janet Kataha Museveni.
The once-promising world of Ugandan netball has turned into a brewing crisis as allegations of financial mismanagement and harassment have rocked the Uganda Netball Federation (UNF).
The situation came to a head during a high-stakes meeting at the State House in Nakasero, where representatives from the National Council of Sports (NCS), UNF, and former She Cranes players met with the Minister of Education and Sports and First Lady Janet Kataha Museveni.
At the center of the storm was UNF President, Hon. Babirye Kityo Sarah, who had been embroiled in controversy over financial mismanagement among other allegations.
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15:54 - 13.04.2023
NETBALL She Cranes yet to receive funds for World Cup preps
Uganda Netball Federation are yet to receive funds for World Cup preparations despite summoning 30 players for non-residential training.
And after the meeting, Kityo was told to step aside from office for three months, extended from the initial two months upon the request of NCS due to budgeting reasons.
The minister’s directive also placed Brigadier Flavia Byekwaso as the interim President of the federation, which is currently preparing the She Cranes for the Netball World Championships.
UNF has been under Police investigation since Febryary 2023, over financial mismanagement that stemmed from funds released for the 2021 Pent Series in Namibia.
NCS had accused UNF of failing to account for funds received for the series trip in 2021, which Uganda won.
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19:00 - 19.04.2023
NETBALL WORLD CUP Big blow as UK-based Stella Oyella suffers knee injury
Scotland-based She Cranes shooter Stella Oyella has suffered a bad knee injury, her club Strathclyde Sirens has announced.
According to Dr. Bernard Ogwel, the General Secretary of NCS, the netball body had defrauded the government, alleging that the Namibian government had already covered all expenses for the netball delegation, including full board expenses for 17 members during the Pent Series.
NCS had paid air tickets worth sh127 million for the She Cranes, which UNF allegedly failed to acknowledge in their accounts.
Babirye Kityo vehemently denied the allegations, asserting that UNF had received only 186 million and had accounted for it in time.
However, after reviewing the accounts, UNF failed to acknowledge the air tickets and there were claims that the Namibian government had already covered all expenses for the netball delegation.
Recent reports from the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) and Auditor General report had escalated the matter after tasking UNF to account for taxpayers' money.
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17:04 - 12.04.2023
NETBALL WORLD CUP Uganda summons provisional squad
Uganda senior women's netball team head coach Fred Tabale Mugerwa has called a provisional squad of 30 players for the 2023 Netball World Cup.
The IGG had particluary found that UNF officials had not properly accounted for UGX 30 million that they claim had been paid to male players.
However, the IGG's findings indicated that the NCS was in the wrong for withholding netball funds for the past one and a half years.
The Auditor General’s report to the Education and Sports Ministry also advised that aministrative action should be taken against officials that have failed to account for government funds.
But financial mismanagement was not the only issue on the table. Reports of sexual harassment and poor accommodation for the national team during their travels had also surfaced.
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12:13 - 06.04.2023
Official Uganda to host 2023 Netball Africa Cup
Uganda has been affirmed as the hosts for the 2023 Netball Africa Cup; Africa Netball has made it official.
Some former She Cranes players and UNF executives, whom Babirye Kityo had initially thrown out of the meeting, were present to voice their concerns.
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