Uganda Premier League on right track - CEO Bainamani

Bernard Bainamani Bampaire is a married man and a father to five. I graduated from Makerere University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Commerce and also possess a post-graduate diploma in financial management. I started working with the Uganda Revenue Authority from 1995 up to 2012 when I opted for voluntary early retirement at the age of 45. I later joined the private sector as a consultant in Tax matters as well as real estate.

 How did you end up at the Uganda Premier League as CEO?

The current Fufa regime led by Hon. Moses Magogo spotted me after seeing my potential in 2014 and called me to serve football in this capacity.
I joined football administration back in 1997 while at URA when we founded URA football club. I served the team from that time until 2012 as treasurer when I left the mother body. During that time, around 2004, I was appointed a member of the national football league committee. So, I started football from the late [Denis] Obua’s reign as Fufa president through Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa’s regime to now. It is through my work at URA that Fufa identified me. Apart from being an official, I was part of community football in Seeta where I live.

What are the main roles and responsibilities of the league’s CEO?

First of all, we’re the managers of the StarTimes Uganda Premier League. We have two arms; the governance arm which is the board and the administrative arm at the secretariat. I head and supervise the administrative arm which is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the league. I’m also the bridge between the board and the secretariat so I carry the decisions made at the governance arm and implement them at the secretariat.
Briefly, explain to us the structure of command between the clubs, secretariat and the clubs.
The Uganda Premier League is a trading name for the league but it’s under a registered private company which is called the Fufa Super League Limited (FSLL). The FSLL is owned by 17 shareholders which are the sixteen clubs playing in the league and Fufa as a special shareholder with veto powers.
The FSLL is a company that was mandated by Fufa to run the 1st division league. The 16 clubs periodically elect the board in a democratic process and the board in turn appoints the chief executive officer and the secretariat.

So, where do we draw the line to separate powers?

Fufa governs association football in the country. There are four preserves of fufa which include: Formulation, amendment and approval of the regulations that we use to run football; Licensing of both players and clubs; Refereeing; and the judicial processes.
However, we can watch the executions of the above, give recommendations, proposals and suggestions to what we think can improve the four for the good of the game.
Our main mandate is to ensure the league is running smoothly and where we get challenges, contact the relevant Fufa bodies.

There was friction between clubs, their board and Fufa previously, what’s the situation like presently?

It’s true there were some issues but we realised that they arose because of a communication gap. That was solved when we decided to have regular breakfast meetings and retreats to interact and brainstorm with the board, the clubs and Fufa.
One of the things we have done as the league managers is to ensure there is  a good working relationship within ourselves, the clubs and Fufa. That conducive environment would create a good atmosphere for sponsors to come on board.

There’s a newly formed body called the Professional Leagues Body now managed by Shawn Mubiru. How will you co-exist?

Sometime back, Fufa proposed some reforms in the area of competitions which we fall under. One of those proposals was the creation this body to manage the top two leagues in the women and men’s structures. The consultations have not been concluded but some parts that have been agreed are already being implemented. If you can remember the Fufa 3rd president was elected by some of the members who fall under that body. The full details of how it will be implemented is still under review but in my opinion, this is a very good initiative by Fufa.

 What are the pros and cons of the new formation?

When you bring Fufa Big League and the UPL under one body, then it becomes easier to monitor and nurture the teams that are coming to our premium league so that we get quality. We’ve had very many challenges with teams that are promoted like you have witnessed. Some have qualified when they don’t have a primary requirement like a home stadium that meets minimum standards. So, when we implement these rules when they’re arriving from the regions, it will be good for us by the time they’re promoted into the league. That’s why you see most come and go back immediately and then disappear.

You’ve worked under three regimes, how has the league progressed through time?

The league was very vibrant in the period from mid-90s backwards. There after we had a slump. To be specific, the turning point was in 2003 when we had the infamous arrow boys where the level of refereeing deteriorated and sent away fans from the stadium. Another black spot was the era where we had wrangles that reached its epitome when we had a parallel league. We lost very good sponsors and in a way, that still haunts the league up to now when we try to approach some sponsors. Then we had a period where we had terrible hooliganism and violence which chased almost everyone from the stadiums. We have tried to work on it and are progressing well.
On the field, we had teams winning the trophy days or a month before the final game but now matters are decided on the last day.

The StarTimes sponsorship was signed on August 9, 2018 and we’re now into its fourth season. How has it progressed in terms of growing the league and financially?

I will begin with financial aspect. StarTimes took over from Azam whereby we were getting US$500,000 (Shs1.8b) a season. In the current deal we are receiving US$600,000 (Shs2.16b) as the UPL. That amount is set to be increased by US$50,000 (Shs180m) next year in July. The increase is after every four years.
In that package, the clubs take 60 percent, referees take 10 percent, Fufa takes 10 percent and the league management takes 20 per cent.
The sponsorship has pulled several other sponsors even for the clubs because it’s not only about money but also the television coverage. We’ve also seen improvement in the technical aspect. We saw recently how our club KCCA was harassing big teams on the continent though that has not been sustained but at least there’s a sign of improvement.
You can also see the stiff competition in the league which is attracting more fans.

What are the challenges and lessons picked from this deal?

One thing is that a long term deal ensures stability in that you are sure of having a broadcaster for the next ten years as you plan and build on that. A short contract leaves you with a good bargaining power in the near future but leaves you with uncertainties.
           
There were complaints from the clubs and some stakeholders that there is a lot of secrecy while negotiating for sponsorship deals. How true is this?

I don’t agree that they are not involved in these processes but what I can say, the StarTimes deal had its unique nature and we later apologised and explained to the clubs and they understood. Azam had given us a notice of their intention not to renew their sponsorship. We had to keep that information to avoid panic as we worked out behind the scene. When it came to public knowledge that Azam was leaving, Sports Broadcasting approached us and entered into an agreement. After further assessment, we realised that they weren’t able to do what we want and therefore, started process to cancel the agreement. At the same time, StarTimes approached us and started negotiations while we were still handling the cancellation process. So, that was a delicate move that needed total secrecy and we were even forced by circumstances to enter into non-disclosure agreements.
There’s no other deal ever done without the knowledge of the clubs.

We’re seeing increased television this season with 72 matches to be broadcasted in the 2nd round. What does this mean to the league?

Our ultimate goal is to have all the 240 season games to be broadcast live. For the last three years, we’ve been having around 75 live games per season but the contract says a minimum of 100. So, you can see where we’re coming from and how much work and dedication the league management and the broadcasters have put in.
The broadcaster went ahead and engaged a second television which we’ve called TV2 in the fixtures.

 Which company or television is it?

[Laughs] We also don’t know the TV but the rights holder says that it will be of quality. That’s why you see an increased in number. In total, we expect that 50 percent of the league games this season will be broadcasted live.

There’s a lot of underground talk about match fixing. Have you heard anything about it?

It’s a very disturbing issue because whether its pedestrian talk or real, it hurts the brand and image of the league.
We have received some complaints and whistle-blowers and forwarded them to the relevant bodies at Fufa for investigation and action. That’s because it is beyond our scope and mandate.
Things concerning match fixing and related matters are complicated because when we forward to them [Fufa], they handle it with care and may not tell you the steps they’re taking or how long they are going to investigate.

Did you ever receive the findings from the Kidega report?

We have never received the report in its entirety but when we inquired, Fufa told us that it is being implemented. It has never been published but they are implementing for example the former chief executive officer of Bul [Salmin Saleh] was banned and I think a referee was also banned though I can’t remember the name [Emmanuel Kiweewa].

 The UPL clubs and Chan team that picks the best from the league have performed poorly outside, how do you assess the quality of football in the league?

First, I don’t think that the poor performance at Chan (Africa Nations Champions) is an indicator that our league is of low quality. For example, there are so many factors that are based on to select a team but we leave it at that.
Secondly, we had KCCA doing a good job here previously and as we talk, Uganda Premier League have won the last two Cecafa Club titles. We’re also seeing a good number of stars from the league joining big sides out there. We might not be at our best but we have improved a lot.

 What happened to the project of providing balls to clubs?

Using good quality balls is one way to improve quality of football in the league. We started that project in good spirit but somehow our supplier made an error. They supplied us with poor balls that made us to hold the project as we looked for a better supplier. When we were planning that, Covid-19 interrupted but we’re on course.
When you look at the manifesto of the [Fufa] president, there’s something about standardisation. We talked about standardisation of things like balls for premier and Big League, the medals and trophies in our recent retreat at Garuga.
We shall have the official balls very soon and hopefully an official sponsor of the match day balls.

Why is there so much instability in the organisation of fixtures especially for national team games that are not recognised by Fifa and Caf?

If you compare the past seasons, you will realise that we have improved in that area. We follow the Fufa calendar and have tried to align with theirs so that we minimise the postponements. We can only postpone matches with a just cause. For example in this recent case [where the Uganda Cranes went for international build-ups in Europe and Asia], Fufa came to us and informed us that the national team has got an opportunity to play in some quality build ups to prepare for Chan and other upcoming assignments. It was also an opportunity for clubs to expose the players.

 There’s another opportunity coming up in Spain at the start of 2nd round, will you postpone the league?

I am not saying that we shall postpone as and when we get those opportunities, we try to put in some resistance. I have not received official information but we have tried to send in our concern and told them that it might be difficult. Because the players would have just returned and before playing a game at their club already leaving.  We’re waiting for the official communication before anything.

Where did the UPL awards disappear to?

We started the awards to reward excellence. Our plan was to attract sponsors and partners but we didn’t get them and instead started encroaching on the league’s pocket sometimes to a tune of shs. 120 million. So, we asked Fufa to take up some of the categories in their awards but challenge is that theirs takes a calendar year yet our season overlaps. It was a question of finance but I can assure you with confidence that we are back! [Smiles] We have got a sponsor who we’ll unveil at the end of this month. We’re also calling other sponsors to come in so that the prizes are heavier.

What is your final word?

First of all, it is a special feeling that the government is lifting the restrictions and that fans are returning to the stands from the second round. However, I want to urge everyone to continue following the health guidelines so that we can enjoy the freedom.
I also want to tell everyone out there, that this league is ours all therefore we have a responsibility to develop, promote and protect it. Everyone should do whatever it takes to make a contribution towards the league because it is headed for the best times ahead.

How are you addressing the issue of poor refereeing?

I don’t want to believe poor refereeing has started this season. I think it has been there only that it has not been exposed to the level we are seeing now. We can attribute that to the advancement in technology where it is now easier to get video clips even the amateur ones that expose some mistakes.
Poor refereeing has been there much as we have also had very good refereeing. However, in some cases, we have found that even clubs and their officials want to make that excuse after losing a match. We’ve reviewed some complaints and found that the referees made right calls but accused wrongly. I think the most important is to establish the possible causes why some things are happening. We are all taking this issue very serious and that’s why you see the [Fufa] president Eng. Moses Magogo summoned us, the referees, and other key stakeholders for a meeting in regards to that.
We’re moving but hope that the bill that has been proposed by Hon. Moses Magogo might help us to sort some complex issues.