FMU assembly upholds EXCOM decision of suspending its members

FMU assembly upholds EXCOM decision of suspending its members.

The Federation of Motorsport Clubs of Uganda (FMU) general assembly upheld the decision of the Executive Committee that saw the suspension of some of its management members on indiscipline accounts.

The said individuals including club members plus three members of the executive; Vice president administration Shemmy Ssenkatuka, Vice president motor rallying Jeff Kabagambe and assistant General Secretary Ernest Ziwa.

The three are accused for participating in an illegal event Afrika Kwetu last year which was not sanctioned by the federation.

A few days to the annual general assembly, Ssenkatuka and Kabagambe tendered in their resignations a move many think was intended to avoid the embarrassment of being paraded before the AGM for their role in the unsanctioned event.

The August House that sat at Kabira country club, Bukoto in Kampala over the weekend, passed a vote on the matter, having 34 delegates agreeing to the decision that was taken by Excom as 21 other members wanted the affected members reprimanded.

Earlier on, as FMU president Dipu Ruparelia who chaired the assembly made introductory remarks, there broke out a fracas by one delegate Geoffrey Nsamba who stormed podium seeking a procedural matter as to why there was deployment of security personnel within the assembly room.

Nsamba who demonstrated before other delegates in front of cameras, raised his voice high to capture attention when asked by the chairperson to hand over the microphone to others whose hands were up too and he vehemently refused.
The matter then came to a settlement when the majority agreed to have security around.

In the President’s submission, achievements attained in scarily two-year Covid19 affected times included ending a successful championship calendar 2020-21, ensuring full operation of systems and structures that have been put in place, empowerment, being functional and accountable.

He further emphasized that the establishment of working Committees like sporting commission that was fully constituted after election of Rey Kadok Kibira as deputy vice president safety, Touring and vintage are steering things in the right direction.

Dipu also hailed the marketing commission for a tremendous inroads in securing partnerships for FMU who have helped raise the Federation profile, as they are on the verge of signing a championship as well as a fuel sponsor for multiple years.

“Ladies and gentlemen, from the onset we stated that our 4-year agenda will be hinged on these key pillars which include ensuring systems and structures are in place, empowered, functional and accountable, improving and growing human capacity, improving our motorsport brand, growing motorsport partnerships and engagements, increasing our financial base, ensuring equity among stakeholder. Said Dipu Ruparelia.

Much as we have not achieved everything as yet, we are still making key steps in each of those areas.
We have been able to put in place several commissions, that are now doing their work diligently in line with the constitution. Amongst them, is the marketing commission which is soon making us one of the independent financial institutions in this land.

The Marketing commission which is very vibrant has made tremendous inroads in securing partnerships for FMU.

These partnerships have helped raise our profile and we are on the verge of signing a championship as well as fuel sponsor for multiple years.

This simply means all organizing clubs will have a sizeable injection from FMU to their organizational costs.

When completed, these agreements shall remain in place after our administration expires in 2024 for the next leadership to manage and build on. He added.

However, Dipu Ruparelia also mentioned shortfalls including the luck of a functional National Appeals Committee to dispose off all pending appeals, a disgruntled Senate that has failed the enactment of the latter.
He also pointed at Motorsport too being dragged to court by one of the club official Jared Kalera following his suspension, which the court kicked out for lack of substantive cause in the case.

“It was absurd that our sport has been dragged to court. This has affected some sponsorships we were on the verge of signing.

As a fraternity, we need to be aware that the corporate spaces we wish to tap into have their eyes on us. And we cannot make headway in attracting sponsors if we keep putting the sport in bad light, when it is not.

The federation still remains cash strapped but we are positive that with the pending partnerships, the lack of finances will be a thing of the past.

Like earlier stated, the Senate has failed to appoint the National Appeals Committee which is needed to dispose of some pending appeals. In the absence of the NAC, these cases may not be disposed of and yet we wish for justice to be fair. Not to delay the process further, I would like to urge this assembly to authorise the EXCOM to appoint the NAC to consider the appeals so that they are disposed of as soon as possible.”

On the way forward, the president outlined the need for a constitutional review, a thing he says the legal and disciplinary committee(LDC) were given the mandate to complete the process and bring it to the assembly.

He requested the assembly to give LDC the autonomy to institute punitive measures independently and management committee enforces the decision.

Despite conducting capacity building programmes for various categories like a workshop with Competitors ahead of the release of the 2022 NCR’s, Dipu asserts a lot is needed to be done for the good of the sport.