The forthcoming SC Villa presidential elections have received a fresh breath of life following the possible entry of Eng. Ben Immanuel Misagga into the picture. The Misagga lifeline manifested Monday following his resignation from his ‘adopted’ Nyamityobora FC last Friday.
In an October 29, 2021 letter to the Nyamityobora Club CEO, Misagga communicated his resignation, attributing it to new responsibilities and convictions that do not enable him to continue as the western region based club’s president.
“Although I have been profoundly honoured to be a member of and serve Nyamityobora Football Club, there are other responsibilities and convictions in my life that have made it impossible for me to continue serving the club…,” Misagga stated.
While Misagga did not particularly mention these convictions, it has since emerged that his heart has gone back to his first love, SC Villa. Evidence of this is contained in a November 1, 2021 letter to the FUFA CEO. In this communication addressed to FUFA through Misagga’s lawyers of Muwema & Co. Advocates, it was made clear that the former SC Villa president intends to fully sink his energies into the service of the Jogoos.
“…The purpose of this letter is to duly notify you of our client’s resignation and his full intent and commitment to rejuvenate the glory of SC Villa while cooperating with other members of the current leadership,” in part states the letter.
Back in the presidential race?
If put into perspective, the lawyers’ letter alludes to the fact that Misagga is eyeing the Club presidency. Should this be confirmed, then it builds momentum for a heated villa presidential race, with Misagga now slated to square off with lawyer Medard Sseggona, controversial marketer Dennis Mbidde and new entrant Daniel Bakaaki. While Sseggona and Bakaaki are fresh names in the Villa leadership fray, Misagga and Mbidde are long time names, but with contrasting fortunes.
Misagga will be remembered for his 4-year presidency which ended unceremoniously in July 2018, thanks partly to Dennis Mbidde. During his four years, however, Misagga who found Villa in a deep crisis went on to steady the ship, enabling the club to taste Uganda Cup glory in 2015 after years of trophy drought.
The team would go on to challenge for the league, finishing in the top 3. On top of this, Villa’s brand improved immensely, with Misagga trying his hand at club merchandising which bore items such as villa water among others. But perhaps the greatest highlight of this newfound fame was when Misagga organized the Villa awards dinner that was so successful that President Museveni was forced to ask whether he was hosting the Uganda cranes. At the end of it, the club was gifted a team bus; which sadly got grounded with Misagga’s exit. Misagga loyalists are thus optimistic that their man can restore the glory he brought to the club before his tenure was cut short.
Misagga will however have to overcome the vitriol that was meted out against him by Denis Mbidde, the man behind the current woes Villa is trapped in now.
It should be recalled that had it not been for Mbidde’s last minute machinations, Villa would now be in the hands of Medard Lubega Sseggona, who was a clear favorite to win the hitherto scheduled August 24th elections.
The elections flopped at the last minute when Mbidde through Brenda Kawuma rushed to court and secured an injunction halting the elections. Villa then reverted back to interim management but since then it has since then sunk into deeper crises. The first of these was when the interim committee sacked club CEO Shaun Kimuli and replaced him with Brenda Kawuma.
However, Kawuma was blocked from the job by FUFA, which accused her of having taken football matters to regular courts. The club would later be excluded from the current UPL season fixtures but salvaged itself by appointing Villa life member Muhammad Bazirengede as CEO. The club now has set November 13, 2021 as a day for fresh elections but will have to overcome a current impasse involving FUFA which wants to organise elections for it. But perhaps the biggest hurdle will be power-hungry Dennis Mbidde who is wont to disorganise the club’s elections.
This is because bar the recent polls which he halted, Mbidde also led to FUFA’s stoppage of the July 2018 elections. It should be remembered that while at Masaka, Mbidde announced parallel elections to be held on July 12, 2021, while he also rallied other club faithful to boycott the July 15, 2021 polls in which Misagga had expressed intention to retain his chair as president. Ironically, Mbidde did not present himself to be voted. This caused the confusion that forced FUFA to cancel the elections. In turn, a frustrated Misagga announced his resignation at Villa Park.
