Uganda Netball Federation President Sarah Babirye Kityo has announced her readiness to step down from her position in response to a directive from First Lady Janet Museveni.

The directive, stemming from ongoing investigations into her actions, has prompted Babirye to contemplate her role within the Federation.

Despite having previously returned to her position forcefully once her three-month suspension expired in July, the situation has now escalated.

The First Lady, who also holds the role of Minister of Education and Sports, issued new instructions to the National Council of Sports (NCS) this month.

Surprisingly, Babirye Babirye was not copied in in the First Lady’s letter to the NCS, leading to her questioning the letter’s legitimacy.

In her own words, she expressed her surprise, stating, “I haven’t received a copy, it was surprising that I am the main character in the letter but I am not copied in.”

Babirye however has stated that her doubts began to wane when NCS officials confirmed receipt of the directives.

Despite the challenges and uncertainty surrounding the situation, Babirye says that her primary concern remains the well-being and happiness of Ugandan Netball players and fans.

She said that she is determined to safeguard the joy and excitement they have experienced during events such as the Commonwealth Games, Fast Five, and the World Cup.

She added’ “I would rather go than let NCS withdraw the certificate of recognition from the Netball Federation.”

Furthermore, Babirye has made it clear that she does not require the NCS to formally deliver the letter to her; she has chosen to depart voluntarily.

Babirye commented that she is prepared to await the outcome of the ongoing investigations and will consider returning only if the findings permit it.

“The painful thing I have realised is that those people are not telling the First Lady the truth, but I will respect what the letter says.

“But what I know is that those people have other intentions and they want to withdraw the certificate of recognition from Netball just like they did to Kickboxing.

NCS chairman Ambrose Tashobya emphasized the clarity of the First Lady’s letter regarding the raised issues.

“I want to highlight that the First Lady is fully committed to ensuring the stability of the Netball Federation. She has chaired two significant meetings, including one on a public holiday (Iddi),” Tashobya began.

“She led these meetings and made earnest efforts to restore order within the Netball Federation amidst the highlighted challenges.

“It is regrettable that some individuals are retracting from their commitments. Sometimes, patience and wisdom are necessary.

“I believed we were progressing towards a positive resolution of these issues. The First Lady has now provided clear directives, and we must act accordingly.

“We are currently following the established NCS processes. The Technical Committee will address these matters, and we will convene as a Council to address them further during our statutory meetings.

“We aim to ensure a fair hearing for Netball, and we may acknowledge that circumstances may have changed.”

Tashobya urged the Netball community to prioritize the sport.

“Let’s prioritize the sport itself. When the government allocates funds to sports, it’s not for individual benefit but for the enjoyment of Ugandans and the national interest as our country’s flag is raised high. We expect stability in these federations,” Tashobya added.

“These Federations operate under their own constitutions, but when they choose to collaborate with NCS and seek our recognition as the governing body, certain ground rules and statutory instruments come into play, outlining how they should engage with the government.

“So, if you choose to work with the government, you can’t operate independently and expect the relationship to continue as before.

“What the government may not do is forcibly intervene in your affairs, but it can certainly modify the nature of its relationship, and we can establish new relationships with other organizations that align with our goals of promoting that sport.”