Mbarara schools' sports competitions to stay at Makenke barracks for safety

The Mbarara City secondary schools sports competitions will not return to Kakyeka Stadium anytime soon, as organisers have opted to continue hosting them at the Makenke Army Barracks grounds for safety reasons.

Geoffrey Tumwebaze, the Association of Secondary Schools Headteachers of Uganda (ASSHU) Mbarara City chairman, announced this during the closing ceremony of the Mbarara City Zone C games on Wednesday at the army venue.

“We have been hosting our games here and will continue to do so because our priority is ensuring that all athletes and cheering students return safely to their schools after the competitions. In the past, we experienced incidents of fighting between schools, but since moving here, such issues have become history,” Tumwebaze explained.

For the past three years, the Mbarara City schools’ sports competitions have been held at the Makenke Army Barracks grounds, a decision Tumwebaze defended due to the enhanced safety and discipline it provides.

“Since relocating here, we have enjoyed peace during and after the games. We are grateful to the hosts, Mbarara Army Boarding Secondary School, and the officers for their cooperation and ensuring a secure environment,” he added.

Welden School Mbarara and Maryhill High School emerged as the champions of the competitions, which featured 13 schools from the zone.

Welden School secured their fourth consecutive boys’ football title by defeating Unique High School 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw in normal time.

Meanwhile, Maryhill High School dominated the girls’ competitions, clinching all three titles. The Nyamitanga-based school defeated Mbarara City 1-0 in the girls’ football final to claim their first title in the category. They also triumphed in volleyball and netball, both of which were played in a round-robin format, completing a remarkable triple victory. In the boys’ volleyball category, St. Peter’s Katukuru emerged as the winners.

The top three teams in each discipline—football, volleyball, and netball—qualified to represent Zone C in the Mbarara City secondary schools competitions, scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday at Makenke. They will compete against the top teams from Zones A, B, and D.

Boys’ football

Welden 0 (4) Unique 0 (2)

Girls

Maryhill 1 Mbarara City 0

Netball

Maryhill High School

Volleyball-Girls

Maryhill High School

Boys

St Peter’s Katukuru