STAR PROFILE: Mariam Nakabugo, The Kawempe Muslim’s Norm Breaker

Every club or institution have different norms they follow, since their inaugurations and they are normally hard to break but Nim Sport brings you the record and norm breaker at Kawempe Muslim Secondary School.
This is none other than the longest serving skipper and outstanding central defender at the school and club, Mariam Nakabugo.
The four-time FUFA Women Elite league winning defender, was born on 23rd/ March/2000 (20 years old) from Bombo Barracks Medical Hospital, Luweero District to a family of Late Kamya Adam and Mrs. Tumuhimbise Jackline the resident of Bombo.
The Kawempe Muslim defense commander is the last born in the family of six children, four boys and two girls and she is the only active footballer at a high ranked league organized by FUFA.
The skipper attributed to good ball control, exceptional aerial ball clearances, game reading and command in defence is ranked among the top three best defenders the All-time league champions have ever had according to legendary tactician, Ayub Khalifah Kiyingi.
“If am to rank the top defenders I have ever had, I can talk about is Yudaya Nakayenze, Hawadifo Jeninga, she was a very good defender, after those two then Nakabugo [Mariam], comes in.” Ayub Khalifah told this website.
Nakabugo won almost every title Kawempe has ever competed in, apart from FUFA Women’s Cup.
Education Journey
Nakabugo who dreams to be a journalist, She had her elementary education at Bombo Barracks Nursery and Primary school where she studied until mid-2012 in primary six before shifting to Lukomera Primary School, Luweero, where she completed primary six and then went to St Julian Junior School- Gayaza where she sat her Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) in 2013.
Due to her exceptional talent, she was to continue with the secondary wing of the same school but later the channel changed following a ban imposed to St Julian, with advice from her senior and friend Tracy Jones Akiror who was then a captain at Julian, Nakabugo moved to Kawempe Muslim for her secondary school education.
Nakabugo spent the all six years of secondary school education at Kawempe Muslim from 2014 to 2019 and at Advanced level, the ‘black beauty’ skipper did History, Economics, Swahili and ICT as her combination.
The daughter to a UPDF solider, aiming at pursing a degree in Mass Communication at a University she is yet to identify.
Football Journey
This girl, a child to a lieutenant Tumuhimbise Jackline, traced her talent while still an infant. Her brother Byaruhanga Ronald used to go with her at different village grounds at Bombo where Nakabugo picked interest and got tempted also to enter pitch but she started as goalkeeper since she had no idea about the sport apart from the love she had.
“My older brother [Byaruhanga Ronald] inspired me to play football, by then I was living with him since mum was living in town, so we had close relationship, and he couldn’t move without me.” Nakabugo narrates the start of her journey. “He was good at playing, though they were playing super tele, in due course I picked interest and asked him also to select me in his team to which he did but put me goal.”
Nakabugo’s interesting story doesn’t differ from those of kids who used to own balls and select the best to be at their side, Mariam before was demanding her mum to buy her biscuit, but after picking love in football, the desires changed, and she started asking for a ball from her mum.
“The love football continued to develop, and instead of asking for biscuit from mum, I started asking her for a football and she bought us a tango and we elevated from super tele. So since the ball was mine, I told my brother, if you want to play with my ball, you need to get me out of goal and I also go and play from wing to which they accepted since I was the boss.” She narrates.
From playing community football, Nakabugo gotten chance to elevate her talent when UPDF started a women football team in the Barracks around 2010.
“Our neighbor we used to call maama Kirabo, was at that team, so I went with her at the pitch but as a baby sitter to her child, but I asked their coach also to give me a chance to which he did, for sure I don’t know where I got that football I played, I was very exceptional on my first day and that coach was so happy and he gave me as an example in team talk.”
While still in that club, Winnie Babirye, currently in Tooro Queens, joined the club, Mariam describe Babirye as a lady who was a super talented creature. “Oh my, Babirye knew football, not this one you seeing, and in my heart was saying will I one day be like this girl!”.
Nakabugo from childhood was a leader, and at primary level, Lugoloobi, now the director of Luweero Giants WFC had a selected team for Luweero district that had the likes of Nakate Cissy, Nakibuuka Asia, Nakabugo was their skipper.
From there, Nakabugo with much support from her mother and older brother, continued with her football and she started getting bursaries, in primary six when she joined Lukomera Primary School and St Julian Junior School.
In 2014, Nakabugo joined Kawempe Muslim since Ayub picked interest in her in a friendly Kawempe had with Luweero select team in 2013.
“I was to join St Julian secondary but in that year [2014], girls football was banned so Tracy linked up with coach Ayub and my brother and persuaded me to join Kawempe and I was the first new player to alive at Kawempe even before the term started.”
As a coach, Ayub relocated Nakabugo from right wing to central defence where she finally perfected and in Nationals held in Lira Nakabugo gotten chance to play at senior school team and became the second play in history of the school to be a form one student to be named at the senior team.
“In Kawempe’s norm, it very hard for a form one kid to be on a senior team, but I don’t know whether I was just lucky to be included on senior team while in form one and I played in 2014 USSSA Ball games held in Lira and since then have never left the team until I completed my form six last year.” Nakabugo.
This was new to our reporter, so he took a step to ask her coach, Ayub Khalifah.
“By the time she joined, she was a beat mature compared to others we had before and she was so passionate about the game, actually her and Sandra Nabweteme are the players I recall who gotten chance to feature at senior team. ” Said Ayub Khalifah.
Nakabugo also became the first Ordinary level student to get a responsibility of a captain, she acquire the captain armband while in form four receiving it from Hasifah Nassuna in 2017.
“At school we always get sports party in second term of academic year, so during the speech time, coach Ayub announced me as the captain, I wasn’t expecting it because I was still in form four and the norm was its only advanced level students to lead.”
In the six years she has spent at Kawempe, Nakabugo revealed that her partnership with late Adubango Rehema (RIP) was the best at Kawempe, both at school and club.
“I don’t think that there will be someone who will understand me like Adubango, she was a good partner and a friend, we could use to say that today by all means we allow no ball in our goal and indeed it used to be like that and surely I miss her, may her soul rest in peace.” Emotional Nakabugo revealed.
The 2018 Most Valuable Player (MVP) in East Africa championships held in Rwanda, dreams to be one of football icons, the future footballers will refer too.
Profile
Name: Nakabugo Mariam
Nickname: None
Date of Birth: 23rd, March, 2000 (20 years old)
Place (Hospital) of Birth: Bombo Barracks Medical Hospital, Luweero District.
Place of birth(Village): Bombo, Luweero District.
Parents: Late Kamya Adam and Lieutenant Tumuhimbise Jakline, resident of Bombo, Luweero District.
Position: Defender.
Strong foot: Right.
Weight: 65kg.
Height: 4.7ft.
Shirt number: 17
Current club: Kawempe Muslim Ladies FC
Previous clubs: None
Role model: Hasifah Nassuna (UCU Lady Cardinals)
Credited persons: My Family, Ayub Khalifa Kiyingi and his coaching staff, Coach Lugoloobi.
Achievements: (Individual)
2018- Most Valuable Player (MVP), FEASSSA Games held in Rwanda
With Club/ School;
Four Elite league titles [2015,2016,2017,2018]

Best players played with: Sandra Nabweteme (currently at Southwestern Oklahoma state University), Namuddu Viola (Makerere University WFC), Aturo Ruth (UCU Lady Cardinals), Adubango Rehemah(RIP), Tracy Jones Akiror (USA) and Hasifah Nassuna (UCU Lady Cardinals).
Likes:
Dish: Rice and Fish.
Hobbies:Listening to Music.
Youth career:
2012: Lukomera Primary School Luweero
2013: St Julian Junior School Gayaza
2014-2019:Kawempe Muslim Secondary School
Senior career football:
Club football
2015-Todate: Kawempe Muslim Ladies
National team:
Two national teams calls, U20 and Senior national team The Crested Cranes.
No cap yet.