KISAASI KAMPALA: 20 AUG, 2025 – In the last two weeks, controversy has swirled around the Uganda Cranes’ accommodation for the TotalEnergies CHAN 2024 tournament. Critics on social media and in the news have accused the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) of choosing a low-standard hotel, claiming the organization doesn’t prioritize players’ welfare.
On Tuesday, our reporter visited the hotel, located next to Kisaasi College School in Kawempe Division, Kampala City. Laid out on approximately two acres of land is a residential storied block, and another storied flat adjacent to an executive shed, a swimming pool and an outdoor training ground next to a parking lot. The reporter also had a rare opportunity to interact and dine with the Cranes players in a spacious dining hall but he also attended a press conference where FUFA President Hon. Moses Magogo addressed the criticism head-on.
Why FUFA Chose This Specific Hotel?
Magogo explained that the choice was based on a single, crucial factor: exclusivity. He stated that unlike public hotels, this facility provides a controlled, distraction-free environment essential for modern football. “In modern football especially when players are involved in serious competitions, exclusivity is the first thing considered,” Magogo said. “You want to control and manage the players’ behavior.” He noted that distractions like alcohol and women can easily ruin a team’s performance.
The Kisaasi hotel, he explained, also offers a customized environment with a private gym, kitchen, and swimming pool, making it an ideal home for the national team. “This hotel has everything we can’t get in other hotels anywhere in Uganda,” Magogo declared. “The public hotels will not give you as customized an environment, as exclusive an environment, as ours.”
He also highlighted the health benefits of a customized kitchen, citing instances in European football where rival teams have had their food contaminated leading to disastrous results. At the FUFA hotel, the Cranes receive customized, healthy meals, ensuring they are in perfect condition.
“We used to stay in different hotels before and we have learned from experience that so many things would happen behind the scenes,” he added. “That’s why the national team would get closer to qualification but fail.”
He pointed out that successful football nations like Rwanda and Morocco have also invested in exclusive team hotels for the same reasons.
Endorsement, Costs, and the ‘Dusty Roads’
Magogo clarified that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) assessed and endorsed the hotel as meeting CHAN standards. He also revealed that at a cost of $120 per player per day, it is the most affordable option among the hotels CAF secured for national teams. The funds saved through a lease arrangement the Federation agree with the owner, he noted, are reinvested into developing the facility for future use, including for the U20 Women’s national team which is set to use the same facility for their upcoming international competitions.
Responding to complaints about dusty access roads, Magogo said that road maintenance is the government’s responsibility. However, he confirmed that FUFA is working with authorities to pave the roads, which would benefit both the facility and local residents. He also dismissed the rumor that the Cranes’ team bus couldn’t access the hotel, noting the bus was parked right in the hotel’s lot.
Dismissing the Criticism as Distractions
Magogo labeled the negative reports as political distractions from individuals seeking votes during the current political season. He noted that the negative reports are championed by self seekers who want to capitalize on the CHAN craze to gain political capital. He stressed that the Cranes brand has been built on hard work and urged Ugandans to appreciate the long process of player development, using the much-celebrated striker Allan Okello as an example of a player who came up through the FUFA structure right from 2015.
“What people normally look at is the point of player presentation in Namboole and that’s when you hear commentators call them ‘our boys’ forgetting that there is a process” he said. “It starts with talent identification, development, and later preparation.” He was however appreciative of the fact that Ugandans have started to demand for results because that’s a positive step to appreciate the process through which football is developed.
He urged the public to ignore the false reports and focus on supporting the team’s upcoming fixture against Senegal. “The objective of the individuals behind the false reports is to see Uganda fail to progress,” Magogo stated.
Players’ bonuses and the 1.2bn presidential pledge:
Mr Magogo clarified that the players have not received the 1.2bn win bonus staked by President Yoweri Museveni. He said he is confident the money will come at an appropriate time – preferably at the end of the tournament. But he confirmed that all other bonuses from FUFA including the $2000 package and the daily $100 perk are paid up to date.
He thanked fans for their support in previous games and called for even more backing as the team heads into the knockout stage. Looking ahead, Magogo announced plans to develop the FUFA Stadium in Kadiba, Mengo, into a full-fledged home for the national team, complete with a four-story structure offering customized services.
