Double standards by Fufa fueling violence

Last week, referee Fahad Sekayuba was waylaid and badly beaten by goons on his way home after officiating in the match between UPDF and Express in Bombo.

It was yet another sad episode in our game and should be condemned by all stakeholders. Such acts of violence further dent the image of our game, not to mention chasing away potential sponsors.

The near-death experience was blamed on Express FC fans, who are said to have been disappointed with the way he handled the 1-1 draw. In the follow-up, Fufa suspended all Uganda Premier League (UPL) fixtures involving Express FC. It remains to be seen what Express’ fate will be, but had SC Villa been the alleged culprit, Fufa would have already deducted points and banned some people.

At the moment, I believe Fufa’s decision to suspend Express matches is a tentative measure to gauge the situation. As you may be aware, Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka is the force behind Express, and Fufa, with all its might, may not be wishing to annoy him. But the key takeaway from this sad incident is the continued double standards displayed by Fufa.

About 18 months ago, players and fans of Kataka FC were captured on camera beating up players of Kyetume FC after the latter defeated them to qualify for the top flight. It was a nasty scene that left many Kyetume players nursing injuries in hospitals.

We expected Fufa to come out on the strongest terms but, alas, the federation only gave Kataka a slap on the wrist. But it was hardly a surprise for anyone who knows how Moses Magogo, the Fufa president, runs his football politics. Latifu Mafuko and Hassan Kirunda, the people who run Kataka, are Magogo’s henchmen; so, he couldn’t do much.

Yet in 2017, Fufa didn’t waste any time before deducting Villa two points following the violent clash with the Wakiso giants. In that game, there was no one injured, and Villa was the away team, but Fufa invoked the harshest rules to pull down Villa just because I had signalled my intention to run for the Fufa presidency.

So, it is these double standards in approach to violence that are fueling anger amongst fans.You cannot be calm when you know the rules are being applied against your team.

What’s more, I believe the case of Sekayuba should first be handed over to the police before Fufa steps in. Suspend- ing Express games does not address the situation at hand because what everyone wants is to have the criminals apprehended. Only the police and security organs have the expertise to investigate and conclude that the beating of Sekayuba was premeditated on the grounds of that UPDF- Express match.

After all, Sekayuba was beaten 10 miles away from the stadium, which is outside Fufa’s jurisdiction. So, Fufa should simply help the police with the investigation instead of rushing to conclusions.

The author is SC Villa president emeritus