• FUFA announces a UGX 532 million prize fund for the 2025/26 UPL season, up from UGX 128 million last season.
  • All clubs will benefit from higher rewards, with champions now earning UGX 100 million and the runner-up UGX 62 million.
  • Top clubs, including Vipers SC and SC Villa, oppose FUFA’s new league format, citing lack of consensus and unfair implementation.

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) has announced a major shake-up of the StarTimes Uganda Premier League (UPL). This is after unveiling a UGX 532 million prize money fund for the 2025/26 season. Last season, the prize money stood at UGX 128 million.

In this revamped structure, the champions will earn UGX 100 million rising from UGX 60 million previously. Additionally, the runner-up’s prize jumps from UGX 20 million to UGX 62 million.

In the same way, third placed team will pocket UGX 56 million up from UGX 9 million while the fourth place club will get UGX 50 million compared to just UGX 7 million before.

The other clubs in the respective positions across the table will earn as follows:-

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  • 5th place: UGX 44m from 5m
  • 6th place: UGX 40m from 4.5m
  • 7th place: UGX 34m from 4m
  • 8th place: UGX 30m from 3.5m
  • 9th place: UGX 27m from 3m
  • 10th place: UGX 23m from 2.5m
  • 11th place: UGX 21m from 2.4m
  • 12th place: UGX 17m up from 2.3m
  • 13th place: UGX 13m from 2.2m
  • 14th place: UGX 9m from 1m
  • 15th place: UGX 4m from UGX 700,000
  • 16th place: UGX 2m from UGX 500,000

In total, the prize pool has grown by 316.8% as FUFA has a total budget of UGX 3.4 billion for the season. Apart from the prize money, the rest will be covering player insurance (UGX 1.2 billion), media and marketing (UGX 240 million), cash grants to clubs (UGX 100 million), and man-of-the-match awards (UGX 74 million)
but this will apply only in round 2 and 3.

Despite the financial boost, the new format continues to be rejected by top clubs including Vipers SC, SC Villa, and NEC FC, who accuse FUFA of pushing through the changes without consensus.

Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa, President of Vipers SC, blasted the approach:

“They want to dictate over all the issues. They wanted to intimidate, which I cannot accept, and use means that are unacceptable in football.”

Mulindwa said he stormed out of a meeting in protest:

“I want to see football winning and growing. That is my major aim, because I have done a lot for the football industry. But I cannot support such an arrangement.”

It’s waited to see if the Federation and some of the dissenting voices will come to an agreement so that the league can kick off.