Uganda's New Sports Law Drives Top Boxing Promoter to Kenya

For over a decade, boxing has been one of the few escapes from poverty for many Ugandans. Young men from the Kampala ghettos and those in rural villages punched their passports to prosperity-and now their destinies are at risk-with a newly instated law that aims to change the landscape of sports governance in Uganda.

The 2023 National Sports Act, which aims to unify sports administration under one body per discipline, is triggering a quiet crisis across Uganda’s boxing world. The most visible fallout: the relocation of one of the country’s top promoters to Nairobi.

What Is Uganda’s New Sports Law?

The 2023 National Sports Act seeks to unify a previously unregulated body of sports in the country. One of the major inclusions states that one sporting discipline can have only one national governing body. The intention behind the law is to reduce redundancies, compliance to regulations, and ease of government oversight.

While the idea sounds good on paper, its rollout has caused confusion and conflict. Sports like boxing, which have traditionally separated amateur and professional governance, are most affected. Uganda’s two longstanding boxing authorities – the Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) for amateurs and the Uganda Professional Boxing Commission (UPBC) for professionals – are now expected to merge.

Yet, instead of fostering inclusivity, the law has brought contradictions-and for fighters and fans of sports, that’s a bad thing. Boxing in Uganda is the most publicly known of the disciplines affected by the implementation of such a law. However, it’s not only boxing on the line. Here’s what’s happening and why.

How the Law Affects Boxing in Uganda

Before the law was proposed, boxing in Uganda operated like other territories. Amateur boxing hit the ring when Olympic teams were selected, and licensed pros held matchmaking events for title bouts, earning chances and rankings. Established since 1988, the Uganda Professional Boxing Commission (UPBC) is licensed as a boxing sanctioning body and oversees title fights and licensing.

However, with the new law, there should be one body to oversee both amateur and professional sanctioning. As of mid-2025, only the Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) has been given de facto status-but it remains without official registration under the Act. Therefore, promoters claim UPBC to be unofficial. Events approved by UPBC are being shut down for undisclosed purposes.

“We’ve been pushed out of business by our own government,” says Stephen Sembuya, the head of 12 Sports Rounds Promotions. His latest event, featuring 40 fighters, was canceled just days before it was set to begin. The reason? Alleged regulatory interference from UBF.

Inside Sembuya’s Exit: A Boxing Business Relocates

Sembuya is not just another promoter. For years, 12 Sports Rounds Promotions stood as a beacon for aspiring professional boxers in Uganda. The company organized dozens of events, built international relationships, and helped grow a professional culture within Ugandan boxing.

But after multiple canceled shows and mounting legal pressure, Sembuya made a bold move: he took his business across the border.

“They’re not assisting us get sponsors; instead, they’re making it difficult for us to do business,” he told reporters in Nairobi. Now based in Kenya, 12 Sports Rounds is licensed by the Kenya Professional Boxing Commission (KPBC), and so are 20 Ugandan boxers who moved with him.

The shift wasn’t just logistical. It was symbolic. “This was a protest move, a direct response to the oppression we are facing,” said Eddie Bazira, UPBC’s interim chairman. His own event was scrapped the same week as Sembuya’s.

Behind Sembuya is a loyal team: Rodrick Mugerwa (manager), Joshua Sewankambo (legal), and Faisal Ashinda (matchmaker). They now face the task of rebuilding a promotional operation in a new country.

Kenya’s New Boxing Opportunity

Kenya has welcomed the migration. KPBC president Reuben Ndolo sees it as an opportunity to grow East Africa’s boxing industry.

“What is happening in their country is unfortunate,” Ndolo said, “but our aim is to create a conducive atmosphere for East African promoters to thrive.”

Fighters like Henry Kasujja, Abdul Njego, and Owen Kibira now train and fight under the Kenyan banner. They’re part of a growing stable of Ugandan talent finding stability abroad.

This shift could have broader implications. If Kenya continues to provide a friendlier regulatory space, it might become a new hub for professional boxing in the region.

Reactions Across the Sporting Landscape

While boxing is the most prominent sport to which this law applies, it’s extended elsewhere-netball coaches, track trainers-because no one knows who’s in control of whom. Legal advice points to horrible chances of being taken advantage of when major and minor league sanctions are blended without proper agreements.

Some federations have yet to receive formal registration under the new law, even as they begin asserting authority.

“This is a legal time bomb,” said one Kampala-based sports lawyer. “Without clear transitional guidelines, the entire sporting ecosystem is exposed.”

There is growing pressure for the Ministry of Education and Sports to revisit parts of the Act or publish detailed implementation frameworks.

What’s Next for Ugandan Boxing?

For now, the next bell rings in Nairobi. But the future of Ugandan boxing depends on whether the country can find a way to preserve the professional tier while respecting the law.

Suggestions include creating a parallel licensing board within the unified structure or granting provisional autonomy to professional commissions under certain conditions.

There are also calls for dialogue between UBF, UPBC, and the Ministry to chart a clear path forward. If the standoff continues, more promoters and fighters could follow Sembuya across the border.

Boxing is more than a sport in Uganda. It’s a source of pride, discipline, and economic activity. Without a fix, the country risks losing an entire generation of talent to bureaucratic overreach.

Final Thoughts

Uganda’s new sports law was meant to unify and elevate sports governance. Instead, it has fractured boxing and sparked an exodus of talent and business. Unless the law is clarified or its rollout corrected, Uganda may lose more than promoters. It may lose a piece of its sporting soul.