By URN
The Federation of Uganda Football Association FUFA Club Licensing Committee has withdrawn the License Uganda Premier League side Arua Hill SC for allegedly failing to meet the club licensing regulations.
The latest setback comes at the time when the second Round Fixtures of the StarTimes–Uganda Premier League for 2023/24 Season have been released in which the West Nile Based club is missing on the newly announced fixtures.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Uganda Premier League Secretariat said the omission of the club from the second Round Fixtures came after the FUFA Club Licensing Committee pending petition by the club.
“Arua Hill SC License has been withdrawn by the FUFA Club Licensing Committee subject to an appeal by the club”, reads the statement in parts.
Trouble for Arua Hill SC started mid-last year after the former club president, Eng. Joel Jaffer Aita, lost interest in further investing in the club and sold it due to lack of returns on investment.
In November 2023, Charles Livingstone Mbabazi, the former head coach of the club came out to declare he owns (51%) of the shares, and the club’s Public Relations Officer, Adams Lematia, owns the other (49%) shares.
The club’s woes openly played out on December 28 2023 at Masindi stadium after they turned up with eight players and no substitutions to face Kitara FC which resulted in 7-1 thrashing.
Meanwhile, the club’s former head coach Charles Livingstone Mbabazi has since joined Vipers and several players including the former club captain Gaddafi Wahab joined other clubs.
But, Brendah Nyamwiza , the club’s newly appointed Chief Executive Officer CEO says that they are doing everything to file a petition before the expiry of the January 29 deadline such that the club can be included in the second wrong fixtures.
According to Nyamwiza, the club fell short in earlier submitted documents to the FUFA Club Licensing Committee specifically in the areas of Administration, Finance, Pitch, and transfer of ownership.
“Right from registration, player’s contracts, audited accounts, ownership everything. So that’s what we are trying to put together at least by Friday”, Nyamwiza noted.
The Kongolo ended the first half of the season rock bottom of the StarTimes–Uganda Premier League Table standings with 5 points in 15 matches having won 1, drew 2, and 12 losses.
