The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) has provisionally suspended five individuals as investigations continue into alleged match-fixing in a Uganda Premier League game between Kitara FC and Express FC played on December 21, 2024.
According to a statement from FUFA’s Ethics and Disciplinary Committee Investigatory Chamber, the probe began after a FIFA betting integrity report flagged the match for suspicious betting patterns.
The report suggested that the game may have been manipulated for betting purposes, with prior knowledge that Express FC would lose the match and concede at least five goals.
Preliminary investigations by FUFA indicate that former footballer Mike Mutyaba allegedly coordinated the scheme together with Ivan Katende, who has previously been linked to match-fixing investigations in Ugandan football.
The probe also alleges that Ashraf Miiro, CEO of Express FC, was involved in the plan to manipulate the outcome of the match.
Investigators say betting accounts in Uganda linked to Katende placed wagers on the match through a Tanzanian betting company. The accounts reportedly generated winnings worth millions of shillings, but the betting company blocked the payouts after detecting suspected fraudulent activity connected to the game.
Two Express FC players — Emmanuel Kalyowa and Ashraf Mbazira — are also alleged to have been recruited to influence events on the field.
FUFA’s preliminary findings suggest that Mutyaba even assumed responsibility for technical decisions during the match, taking advantage of the absence of Express FC head coach Badru Kaddu.
FUFA confirmed that it has engaged the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) to support the ongoing investigation.
To safeguard the integrity of football while the probe continues, the Investigatory Chamber has provisionally suspended Mutyaba, Miiro, Kalyowa, Mbazira and Katende from all football-related activities pending formal disciplinary proceedings.
FUFA has also warned clubs, players and other stakeholders against associating with the individuals named in the investigation, cautioning that such interactions could expose others to activities aimed at corrupting players, coaches and officials to manipulate match results.
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