FUFA President Moses Magogo has withdrawn from the race for President of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), saying the contest risked causing division rather than progress.
Magogo announced his decision during the CECAFA Elective General Assembly being held in Djibouti. He explained that football development in the region continues to suffer because leaders often allow politics and rivalry to override unity.
According to Magogo, competitive elections at the regional level can sometimes deepen disagreements among football administrators. He said he chose to step aside to avoid a contested vote that could split CECAFA members and slow down collective development.
He pointed to a similar decision he made in the past while in Juba, South Sudan, when he withdrew from a CAF Executive Committee contest to allow Tanzania’s Wallace Karia to go through unopposed. Magogo said that move helped preserve unity, and he believes the same approach is needed again.
In the current CECAFA race, three candidates had been nominated: Magogo of Uganda, Alexandre Muyenge of Burundi, and Paulos Weldehaimanot Andemariam of Eritrea. After Muyenge also withdrew, Magogo followed suit, leaving Andemariam to take the position unopposed.
Magogo said his decision was guided by the belief that CECAFA leaders should move forward as one group, focusing on football development rather than internal competition.
CECAFA brings together 11 member countries: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia and Djibouti.
