Securing the Future of Ugandan Chess: UCF Successfully Ratifies Constitution at Crucial SGM

By Uganda Chess Federation Secretariat. The landscape of Ugandan sports underwent a major structural shift with the enforcement of the new National Council of Sports (NCS) Act. A critical mandate of this legislation is the strict requirement for sports federations to demonstrate at least a 75% active presence across all regions of the nation by the June deadline. Non-compliance carries severe consequences, risking a demotion from official “Federation” status down to a localized “Association” status—a setback that would strip any sport of critical national status, recognition, and funding.

The Meeting was chaired by Mr Andrew Bakiza, the UCF president, who guided the various discussion points.

Coming off an incredibly packed May season filled with high-stakes national and international chess tournaments, the Uganda Chess Federation (UCF) executive and leadership refused to let administrative deadlines slip. The federation took a deliberate, intensive time-out from the competitive calendar to carefully review constitutional frameworks and organize a decisive Special General Meeting (SGM) to ensure legal and regulatory compliance.

To ensure inclusive democratic representation, each of Uganda’s four geographical regions was formally allocated a baseline capacity of 28 delegates representing various constituent districts. To further align with the NCS Act, the meeting clarified and codified the Federation’s formal structure into three foundational pillars: Regions, Associations, and Clubs.

Key Resolutions and Strategic Approvals

The SGM wasn’t just a compliance exercise; it served as a platform for robust governance decisions that will shape the federation’s direction over the next four years. The primary milestones accomplished include:

• Ratification of the National Executive Committee (NEC): The assembly formally ratified the mandate of the current NEC for the upcoming 4-year cycle, officially commencing on November 30th, 2025.
• Governance Autonomy & Interim Appointments: In a move to streamline operations, the NEC was formally granted the authority to make critical appointments—including the replacement of vacated NEC positions, appointment of the functional Secretariat, and the provisional admission of new clubs and associations. These actions will be presented for formal member ratification at subsequent Assemblies.
• Expansion of the Chess Family: Demonstrating continuous growth, the assembly officially admitted and ratified the Trainers and Coaches Association into the UCF family, passing with an overwhelming majority vote.
• Harmonization with NCS Directives: The assembly extensively debated and reviewed the specific notes, guidance, and compliance comments returned by the National Council of Sports. Members successfully voted to mandate the NEC to plug the identified gaps and submit the finalized document for definitive NCS approval prior to official signing.

Delegate Attendance and Regional Representation

To facilitate an open, democratic process, the federation provided attendance and transport facilitation to delegates traveling from all corners of Uganda. Recognizing diverse logistical situations, a hybrid model was employed, allowing delegates to participate either physically or via an authenticated online platform.

The turnout reflected the gravity of the meeting, with 90 delegates in total attendance showing a healthy, well-distributed footprint required by the regulator:

Region	Physical Attendance	Online Attendance	Total Delegates
Eastern Region	22	4	26
Northern Region	8	10	18
Western Region	15	4	19
Central Region	22	5	27
Total Attendance	67	23	90

UCF SGM – Finalizing NCS Registration Requirements

Time line of Events:

1. Swearing in of the new Executive – held on Friday the 19^th of December 2025, held at Kati Kati restaurant, Lugogo, and overseen by the Returning Office, Mr. Rugyendo Brian.
2. President – Mr. Bakiza Andrew Nkwasibwe, Deputy President – Mr. Mande Allan Benjamin, General Secretary – Mr. Okas Walter, Treasurer – Mr. Muwanguzi David, and the Secretary for Women Affairs – Ms. Nakiirya Victoria.
3. Of first importance for the new executive was finalizing the registration of UCF with the National Council of Sports as per the new National Sports Act 2025.
4. SGM held on 31^st Jan 2026 at Kati Kati (and online)
   1. https://chessdispatch.com/the-chess-working-team-2026-unveiled/ was this website’s report about this SGM.
   1. A new Constitution Review Committee was composed – headed by Mr. Moses Mwase, deputized by Isaac Munanira. The other committee members were Mr. Ezekiel Matsiko, Mr. Fred Okiring, Mr. Chris Turyahabwe, Mr. Paul Frobisha Katula, and Ms. Shakira Ampairwe.
   1. The new team and the CRC were to complete the registration process of UCF with NCS. Following additional changes to the UCF constitution and several consultative meetings with various members of the Uganda Chess Federation, and incorporating feedback from NCS, a final SGM was called to complete the work on the constitution and also have the expanded General Assembly of UCF ratify the current UCF NEC.
5. SGM in at Gloria Gardens on 31^st May 2026 (and online)

UCF held a hybrid Special General Assembly on the 31^st of May 2026 at Gloria Gardens Namugongo as part of the process of fulfilling the requirements from the National Council of Sports (NCS) to finalize registration as a national sports federation.

NCS granted all non-compliant national sports organizations a remedial compliance period of five (5) months, effective 7^th January 2026, within which to fully comply with the requirements of the law. This meant a deadline of 7^th June 2026, on which the UCF Executive needed to ensure all compliance queries from NCS had been satisfactorily answered.

• At this SGM, the new and expanded delegates met for the first time. Under the new system, each of the 4 regional associations will be represented by 25 delegates per region for a total of 100 district delegates.
  • Club delegates with each regional association being represented by 3 Club delegates for a total of 12 Club delegates.
  • Also in attendance were the other chess associations, each with one (1) delegate
    • Women’s Chess AssociationCoaches, Trainers, and Instructors Chess AssociationArbiters and Tournament Officials Chess Association
    • Chess Academies and Training Centers
• The Assembly went through the draft constitution, reviewing suggestions from members and NCS.
• The new General Assembly voted to endorse the mandate of the UCF NEC for the period of 4 years, starting from when the NEC was elected on 30^th November 2025.
• The NCS Representative commended the team on the work done, finalizing with the constitution pending submission of the final document to the NCS team as per the communicated timeline.

Looking Ahead

With 67 delegates attending in person and 23 participating seamlessly online, the UCF has demonstrated not only its compliance with democratic governance but also its robust operational footprint across the Eastern, Northern, Western, and Central regions. With the mandates passed, the harmonized constitution now heads back to the National Council of Sports for final sign-off, ensuring that Ugandan chess remains firmly positioned at the top tier of national sports bodies.

PHOTO CREDIT. Ivan Mukuye