Peace Proscovia on netball normalization committee headed by Mwase

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | She Cranes star Peace Proscovia has been named part of the Uganda Netball Federation normalization committee to oversee Netball activities in the country.

Earlier this month, World Netball advised the Uganda Netball Federation Executive Committee led by President Sarah Babirye Kityo to step down and allow the World Netball to name a normalization committee that will oversee netball activities until an election is conducted.

World Netball was responding to an earlier decision by the National Council of Sports-NCS which withdrew the UNF’s certificate of recognition citing persistent governance and leadership challenges within the UNF, as well as their failure to adhere to Ugandan laws and their own statutes.

In its letter dated 2nd November 2023, World Netball said, that a member of World Netball is supposed to hold the exclusive right to govern Netball in its country, but this is not the case for UNF which can easily lead to UNF membership being suspended.

However, World Netball acknowledged that suspending UNF would not be in the best interest of netball. Consequently, they advised the UNF Executive to step aside, paving the way for the appointment of a normalization committee.

In a subsequent letter dated November 7, 2023, World Netball announced the formation of a four-member ad-hoc committee entrusted with the day-to-day operations of the UNF until new elections are held.

The committee, chaired by Moses Mwase, Uganda Olympic Committee Vice President, includes Peace Proscovia as the athletes’ representative, along with Cecilia Anyacoti of the National Sports Council and Leticia Namutebi, a member of the Commonwealth Games Athletes Commission.

Meanwhile, the High Court has rejected a request for an injunction by Sarah Babirye Kityo and the UNF Executive Committee against the National Council of Sports (NCS).

Babirye and the Executive Committee of UNF had filed for a temporary injunction to be granted restraining NCS from requesting World Netball to establish and appoint a normalization committee to take over and control the affairs of the Uganda Netball Federation.

The High Court’s decision, based on the NCS response, noted that Kityo and the UNF Executive lacked the authority to bring such an application, as the mandate belonged to the registered Trustees of the Uganda Netball Federation.

“Secondly Kityo did not prove that she has the authority or consent from the registered trustee of NNF to swear an affidavit it should be stuck off and the application be dismissed with costs,”  reads part of the response

“The application for temporary injunction is accordingly dismissed as Applicants have no locus standi. The 1st Applicant is to pay the costs of this application to the Respondent. I so order,” ruled Kintu Simon Zirintunsa, the Registrar Civil Division.

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