Parliament has reconsidered the National Sports Bill, incorporating several amendments including the introduction of archery and deletion of kickboxing.
The National Sports Bill, initially tabled for First Reading on November 10, 2022, was passed by the House on 02 March 2023. However, the Bill was returned by the President with key amendments.
The Private Member’s Bill moved by Hon. Moses Magogo (NRM, Budiope East County).
While presenting the report by the Committee on Education and Sports on Tuesday, 27 June 2023 during plenary, the committee chairperson, Hon. John Twesigye, acknowledged the President’s proposal to introduce archery, a sport played in the Olympics.
Simultaneously, kickboxing was removed from the list of recognised sports as it is not recognised by the council.
“The committee recommends that archery sports discipline be added as proposed by the President since it is recognised by the National Council of Sports,” Twesigye said.
Additionally, the House also adopted the proposal by the President to amend section 32 (2) for members of the board of the National Council of Sports.
According to the new amendments; the council shall have a board of seven members which shall be the Governing Board of the council consisting of a chairperson and six members.
This shall include; a representative from the Ministry responsible for Sports; two representatives from any two Traditional Regions of Uganda; a representative of the national sports associations or the national sports federations; a representative of the Athletes; a representative of the Private Sector; and a person with experience in sports administration.
Additionally, a member of the Board referred to in subsection (2) shall be a person with knowledge and experience in Sports Administration. The minister shall appoint the members of the board.
The House, however, declined to delete clause 75 as recommended by the committee which provides that the land on which the public sports facilities are established and the public sports facilities thereon shall vest in the Council.
The President had proposed that there’s need to make provision for the Schedule of the Sports facilities that will vest in the Council specifying the location, acreage and current registered proprietors of the sports facilities. He stated that the procedure for vesting the property in the council should also be provided.
The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, tasked the committee chairperson to explain the proposal to delete the clause, and yet the clause protects sporting land and facilities in Uganda.
Hon. Twesigye said that the committee’s biggest worry was that the sports facilities are already taken over by the National Council of Sports and it would bring about numerous court battles.
Following the guidance from the Speaker, and legal advice from the Attorney General, Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka, the House resolved to leave the clause in a bid to protect the land and property of the sports facilities.
The House unanimously adopted the committee report approving the amendments.
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