Ugandan international Allan Okello has finally broken his silence on the dramatic switch that saw him join Vipers SC instead of returning to his boyhood club, KCCA FC.
The 24-year-old midfielder, who signed a three-year contract with Vipers in September 2023, revealed that he had initially set his heart on rejoining KCCA. But negotiations collapsed, forcing him to seek refuge in Kitende, where Vipers president Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa stepped in to revive his career.
Okello made the revelations in an interview with journalist Andrew Mwanguhya on The Game of Life, recalling how he had been without a club and nursing an injury when his contract abroad ended.
“I had to look for a team, and it was now coming to four months. I needed a club to treat me and also pay me,” he said.
KCCA Shut the Door
After leaving Algeria’s Paradou AC and a loan spell back at KCCA in the 2022/23 season, Okello hoped his former club would support his recovery and offer him a short-term deal.
“I went back to Lugogo and told them I wanted to stay, but on condition that they treat me and then I play for them again. KCCA told me that whatever I demanded, they were not going to do. They were not ready,” he explained.
That rejection left Okello stranded — until news of his situation reached Dr. Mulindwa.
Mulindwa Steps In
According to Okello, Mulindwa personally called and invited him to Kitende for a meeting that changed everything.
“When we met, the president told me he knew I was going through a lot, so he asked me to say everything I wanted,” Okello revealed.
Top on his list was medical treatment. “Before asking anything, I told him I wanted to be treated. He immediately said, ‘Tomorrow, you’re going for a scan.’”
Okello also requested support for his younger sister’s education. “I asked if she could join St. Mary’s Kitende, and he said it was okay,” he said.
Mulindwa went further, meeting his financial demands without argument. “In short, I got everything I wanted. So for all that, I can and will never disrespect Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa,” Okello added.
The midfielder, who first made headlines in 2017 with a debut hat-trick for KCCA against Onduparaka, has since become a star at Vipers. He played a key role in their Uganda Premier League and Uganda Cup triumphs and has also impressed with the Uganda Cranes during CHAN and the World Cup qualifiers.
Looking back, Okello admits the move was unexpected but life-changing. “I don’t want to look good by doing the wrong thing. I’d rather look bad for doing the right thing,” he said, hinting that the decision to trust Mulindwa was one of the best of his career.
