Uganda Premier League


The Uganda Premier League, known as the StarTimes Uganda Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Uganda and the highest level of the Ugandan football league system. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Federation of Uganda Football Associations. Seasons usually run from September to February, with each team playing 30 matches: two against each other team, one home and one away. Most games are played on weekend afternoons, with occasional weekday evening fixtures.
The league was previously known as the Uganda Super League but changed in the 2014–15 season after new management taking over. The league's roots date back to 1968 when the National First Division League was established.

History

Original concept

The genesis of club football in Uganda was an idea copied from England by Balamaze Lwanga and Polycarp Kakooza. The objective was to improve Uganda's performances in the Africa Cup of Nations after disappointing results in the finals in 1962 and 1968, both held in Ethiopia. The intention was to start a Uganda National League to create the foundation for a strong national team. At the same time, the identification of players from the grassroots would be made easier and systematic.
Because there were no clubs to form a league, institutions and districts were contacted to form teams. The 1968 inaugural top-flight league was composed of Prisons, Army, Coffee, Express, Jinja, Masaka, Mbarara, and Mbale. There were three institutions and four districts and one club. The league was known as the National First Division League, and the first league champions were Prisons FC Kampala.
After four seasons, the political turbulence in Uganda impacted on the league. The 1972 and 1973 championships were not completed because of civil unrest. In 1974, the league became known as the National Football League and this title was used until 1982 when the league was trimmed to ten teams and was renamed the Super League.

Super League advent

The emergence of the Super League in 1982 saw the development of SC Villa as the country's leading club. Through the 1980s and a good part of the 1990s, competition between Express, KCC FC and SC Villa lit up the league and fans attended in hoards.
SC Villa won the league for the first time in 1982 and over the next 22 years totalled 16 league titles. KCC FC and Express won the championship title in the intervening years.

Match-fixing

In 2003, football in Uganda hit its lowest ebb as SC Villa put 22 goals past Akol FC when the league title went down to goal difference with Express. This was one of the biggest scandals in Ugandan football and thereafter, there was a complete media shutdown in all matters pertaining to local football. Fans became increasingly disillusioned and deserted the stadia thus affecting the teams financially. The episode represented one of many that has plagued Ugandan football.

Top scorers

YearTop scorersTeamGoals
1968–69John OwubweSimba FC
1969Ali KitonsaExpress36
1970Erickson MategaExpress
1971Polly OumaSimba FC18
1972Paschal LuwaggaExpress
1973Joy SsebulibaLint FC17*
1974Peter KirumiraExpress14
1975Chris DdunguKCC FC12
1976John NtesibeExpress22
1977Denis ObuaUganda Police FC24
1978Jimmy KirundaKCC FC32
1979Davis KamogaKCC FC18
1980Davis KamogaKCC FC21
1981Issa SsekatawaNytil FC18
1982Issa SsekatawaExpress22
1983Issa SsekatawaExpress21
1984Frank KyazzeKCC FC18
1985Frank KyazzeKCC FC28
1986Charles LettiTobacco FC29
1987Majid MusisiSC Villa28
1988Mathias KaweesaNsambya FC17
1989Majid MusisiSC Villa15
1990Majid MusisiSC Villa28
1991Mathias KaweesaCoffee United SC18
1992Majid MusisiSC Villa29
1993Mathias KaweesaSC Villa20
1994Adolf BoraCoffee United SC21
1995Ibrahim KizitoUganda Electricity Board FC20
1996David KiwanukaUganda Electricity Board FC21

YearTop scorersTeamGoals
1997Jackson Mayanja
Charles Ogwang		KCC FC
Umeme FC		18
1998Charles KayembaSC Villa18
1999Andrew MukasaSC Villa45
2000Andrew MukasaSC Villa27
2001Hassan MubiruExpress24
2002Hassan MubiruExpress22
2002–03Hassan MubiruExpress16
2004Osborn Mundia
Kinyara FC
13
2005Martin Muwanga
Geoffrey Sserunkuma		Police FC
KCC FC		8
2006Dan WalusimbiPolice FC15
2006–07Hamis KitagendaUganda Revenue Authority SC20
2007–08Brian Umony
Olobo Bruno		KCC FC
Police FC		15
2008–09Peter SsenyonjoPolice FC22
2009–10Tony OdurBunamwya21
2010–11Diego Hamis KiizaUganda Revenue Authority SC14
2011–12Robert SsentongoUganda Revenue Authority SC13
2012–13Herman WasswaSC Villa and KCC FC20
2013–14Tony Odur
Francis Solaki		KCC
Soana FC		15
2014–15Robert SsentongoUganda Revenue Authority SC15
2015–16Robert SsentongoUganda Revenue Authority SC18
2016–17Geoffrey SserunkumaKCCA FC20
2017–18Dan SserunkumaVipers SC17
2018–19Juma BalinyaPolice FC19
2019–20Steven MukwalaMaroons FC13
2020–21Yunus SentamuVipers SC16
2021–22Cesar ManzokiVipers SC18
2022–23Allan KawiyaExpress13
2023–24Muhammad ShabanKampala City17

Notes:
  • Joy Ssebuliba was leading league scorer with 17 goals for Lint FC in 1973 but the league was not completed because of the dire political situation.

Qualification for CAF competitions

Association ranking for the 2025–26 CAF club season

The association ranking for the 2025–26 CAF Champions League and the 2025–26 CAF Confederation Cup will be based on results from each CAF club competition from 2020–21 to the 2024–25 season.
;LegendCL: CAF Champions LeagueCC: CAF Confederation Cup≥: Associations points might increase on basis of its clubs performance in 2024–25 CAF club competitions
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