The 2025/26 Uganda Premier League (UPL) season will kick off under a new format following a heated meeting at Serena Hotel, Kampala, where 13 of the 16 top-flight clubs voted in favour of the reforms.
The meeting, chaired by FUFA president Moses Magogo and attended by federation officials and club representatives, turned dramatic when Vipers SC, SC Villa, and NEC FC stormed out in protest.
Vipers president Dr Lawrence Mulindwa, speaking on behalf of the dissenting clubs, accused FUFA of forcing teams into endorsing predetermined changes.
“This was meant to be a follow-up from last week, but it was clear FUFA already had its mind made up,” Mulindwa said. “After presenting my views, I had no choice but to walk out because I disagreed with the direction being taken.”
He further alleged that politics had crept into the process, claiming government-owned clubs were pressured into backing the reforms.
Magogo, however, rejected the claims of coercion.
“I am not aware of any calls being made to institutional clubs. Personally, I never called anyone,” he said. “We simply shared the information, and those who agreed responded.”
Magogo defended the reforms as part of FUFA’s wider strategy to professionalise the league and make it more attractive to sponsors and broadcasters.
“The changes are being funded by the Shs 3.4 billion we have mobilised, not government money,” he explained. “These resources will cover secretariat expenses, strengthen marketing and media, and even introduce locker-room bonuses for players. The goal is to create a stronger product that generates more value for clubs.”
He added that FUFA would also seek government support to supplement the reforms.
“Change is never easy; it always comes with anxiety and resistance. But in two or three years, I believe the benefits will speak for themselves,” Magogo said.
On the walkout by Vipers, Villa, and NEC, Magogo stressed that FUFA would continue engaging them.
“They are part of us and critical to our long-term vision. We shall keep the door open and continue dialogue until everyone is on board,” he noted.
Meanwhile, under the new arrangement, the UPL will continue to host a maximum of sixteen teams, but the season will now be played in three rounds rather than the traditional two. The first round will be the regular league stage in which all sixteen clubs face each other once in a one-leg format. After this opening phase, the table will split, with the top eight teams advancing to Group One and the bottom eight dropping into Group Two.
In the second round, Group One teams will compete against each other on a home-and-away basis. At the end of this stage, the top six will progress to Group Three for the championship run-in, while the bottom two will settle in seventh and eighth place overall. Group Two will also play home-and-away fixtures. The leading two sides will complete their seasons in ninth and tenth place respectively, while the remaining six clubs will be pushed into Group Four to battle against relegation.
The final round will then determine the ultimate outcomes of the season. Group Three will feature six teams fighting for the league crown, while Group Four will be a survival contest. From this relegation group, the teams finishing fifteenth and sixteenth will be automatically demoted, while the side in fourteenth place will face a playoff against the third-placed club from the FUFA Big League.
Beyond competition format, FUFA has also tightened player registration rules. Only players with at least two years remaining on their contracts will be eligible to play, with the exception of those who turn thirty-one during the season. This measure is meant to ensure stability and professionalism across squads.
The reforms also place emphasis on data collection and technology. Clubs will now be required to submit both sporting and business data within forty-eight hours after each match. Sporting data, gathered through Catapult Technology, will be monitored by referees, while business data such as gate collections, attendance figures, and revenues must be recorded using FUFA-provided forms. FUFA believes this approach will strengthen accountability and support long-term planning for both clubs and the league as a whole.
Another notable change concerns the sharing of gate collections. For single-header fixtures, the home team will retain eighty-five percent of the net collections, while FUFA, the UPL, and the winning team will each receive five percent. In the case of double-headers, revenues will be divided between both clubs along with FUFA, the UPL, and the winners. Clubs that falsify or conceal collections risk severe punishment.
To make the competition more rewarding, FUFA has committed five hundred million shillings in prize money, which will be distributed across all rounds and final positions. An additional two million shillings will go to the winner of the relegation and promotion playoff.
With these reforms, FUFA insists that the UPL is entering a new era—one built on competitiveness, accountability, and sustainability—designed to raise the standard of Ugandan football.
