The Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) on Wednesday convened a stakeholders’ meeting with promoters, managers and matchmakers in Uganda’s professional boxing fraternity at Ibamba Restaurant in Kampala, with discussions largely focusing on new incentives aimed at boosting boxing promotion across the country.
The meeting, which brought together eight boxing promotional companies, 15 individual promoters, three matchmakers and eight athlete managers, also served to enlighten participants on their obligations and requirements under the National Sports Act, Cap 151, particularly Section 23.
UBF president Moses Muhangi revealed that the engagement was fruitful, with all stakeholders agreeing to comply with the law as the federation transitions from the old operational framework to the new one.
“We had a successful stakeholders meeting between the federation, promoters, athletes’ managers and matchmakers.
We had a great engagement and discussed the various sections of the law and we are all in agreement that we comply with the law.
We certified matchmakers and we are transitioning from the old formation to the new one,” Muhangi said.
A major highlight of the meeting was the federation’s decision to introduce incentives designed to ease the financial burden on promoters and stimulate more boxing events across the country.
Promoters had raised several challenges they face while organising fights, including high boxing ring hire fees, event sanction fees and boxers’ licence fees.
In response, Muhangi announced that the federation had suspended event sanction fees and boxers’ licence fees for the entire year of 2026.
In addition, UBF will provide promoters with boxing rings free of charge for their events.
“We realised that promoters are facing some challenges in organising fights.
These include hiring rings and sanction fees. Since we are in a transition period, we decided to help them with free rings and we have suspended the sanction fees for promoters and boxers for one year,” Muhangi explained.
“We believe that’s the best we can do for now as a federation until perhaps when the government comes out to support us with more funding. This decision is aimed at enabling promoters to organise more boxing events throughout the country.”
Muhangi also confirmed that the federation will work closely with the Uganda Police, the National Council of Sports and the Minister of State for Sports to clamp down on unlicensed fights and illegal promoters.
“We have agreed that we will have joint efforts with Uganda Police, the National Council of Sports and the Minister of State for Sports to curb activities of quack or unlicensed promoters, managers and matchmakers,” he warned.
Promoters welcomed the incentives, describing them as a timely intervention that will revitalise professional boxing events.
Ssenyange “Zebra” Junior praised the federation for introducing the new measures.
“I am very happy about the new incentives that the federation has given us, such as suspending sanction fees and providing rings for our events,” he said.
Babu Yusuf of Babu Promotions also expressed gratitude to UBF for the support.
“Previously as promoters we have been struggling with hiring rings and paying sanction fees.
The federation has helped us by providing free rings and suspending sanction fees, and I believe this will help us organise more fights unlike before when we had to dig deep into our own pockets,” he noted.
Mutehangwa Michael Ngoboka, a promoter from Mbarara, pledged to use the opportunity to expand the sport in western Uganda.
“I am really grateful that I have secured a licence to promote boxing in the western region.
I have always loved the sport and I will work with other promoters to uplift boxing in our region,” he said.
Promotional companies that received certificates include TopBoy Promotions, Ziso Promotions, Babu Promotions, Nara Promotions, Eventix Marketing SMC Ltd, Zebra Mando Promotions, Brawn Boxing Club Ltd and Contemporary Sports Agency.
The meeting was attended by matchmakers Ashinda Faisal, Zzimbe Ibra and Mutyaba Colline, while athlete managers present included Kamulaasi Rodgers, Zziwa Mbabali David, Mukasa Eumia, Ddamulira Henry, Zzimbe Ibra, Mbogo Aron and Elvis Lwanga.
