Mutyaba Alleges Magogo Has Personal Stake in Jersey Deal, FUFA Points to Janzi Brand
KAMPALA – A public claim by former Uganda Cranes player Mike Mutyaba has stirred controversy by directly linking FUFA President Moses Magogo to the company responsible for printing the national team’s jerseys.
The allegation surfaced on social media, where Mutyaba stated that the company printing the iconic Uganda Cranes jerseys is privately owned by the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) president himself.
This claim appears to challenge the official narrative surrounding the source of the team’s kit. For the past few years, the jerseys have been produced under the Janzi brand, which is publicly registered and promoted as the official in-house brand of FUFA.
The distinction is crucial. If Janzi is a FUFA-owned entity, as the federation maintains, then its revenues would ostensibly be reinvested into the development of Ugandan football. However, if the manufacturing contract has been awarded to a separate, privately-owned company linked to the president, it would raise significant questions about corporate governance, conflict of interest, and transparency within the country’s football governing body.
When contacted for clarification, a source within FUFA, who preferred to remain anonymous as they are not the official spokesperson, reiterated the federation’s longstanding position. “Janzi is a FUFA initiative, a Ugandan brand we are proud of. It was created to promote local identity and generate revenue for the game. The President is not a personal owner,” the source stated.
Mutyaba, a former Vipers and Cranes midfielder, has not yet provided public evidence to substantiate his claim beyond the social media post. The allegation, however, taps into long-simmering suspicions among some football fans and critics regarding the commercialization of the national team’s brand.
FUFA has yet to issue an official statement addressing Mutyaba’s specific allegation. President Magogo has also not publicly commented on the matter.
Observers will be watching to see if the former international follows up his claim with formal evidence or if FUFA will move to officially dismiss the allegation as a misinformation to protect the integrity of its Janzi brand project. The story continues to develop.
