The World Netball (WN) Board president, Dame Liz Nicholi has ordered the current executive of Uganda Netball Federation (UNF) to step down immediately until fair elections are held and the leadership issues solved.
This comes days after the National Council Sports (NCS) of Uganda revoked the recognition of UNF over failure to resolve significant governance issues.
According to the World Netball’s articles of association, a member is required to hold the exclusive right to govern netball in its country. As this is no longer the case for UNF, the World Netball has the right to suspend the member from membership of the company pending consideration of the matter by the full members.
In a letter dated November 2, addressed to the acting UNF president Brig Gen Flavia Byekwaso, the World Netball said that whereas it has the right to suspend UNF from its membership, it has given it a lifeline to resolve leadership wrangles to avoid suspension.
‘’The World Netball believes that suspending the UNF would not be in the best interest netball and its participants. Therefore, to avoid suspension and to address significant governance issues highlighted by the National Council of Sports of Uganda and to regain National Sports Council recognition, WN requests that; The current executive of the UNF steps down immediately with no compensation for loss of office and normalisation committee is established by WN to direct UNF which will remain in place until such time fair and democratic elections can take place,’’ WN president ordered.
WN warned that should UNF fail to comply with the requests made, it reserves the right to suspend Uganda from its membership.
The UNF executive led by president, Sarah Kityo Babirye has been facing persistent governance and leadership challenges which the NCS, recently said triggered the withdrawing of its recognition. The same executive has been facing allegations of failure to disclose UNF’s sources of funding to NCS.
The same allegations saw Babirye recently ordered by the Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni to refrain from resuming her office to pave way for investigations into mismanagement and accountability issues in her office.
