President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has officially lived up to his word, confirming on Tuesday that he has cleared the financial pledge he made to the Uganda Cranes ahead of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), co-hosted by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Prior to the tournament, the Head of State promised a staggering UGX 1.2 billion for every victory. With the Cranes registering two memorable group-stage wins, a 3-0 triumph over Guinea and a 2-0 victory against Niger, the bill rose to UGX 2.4 billion, which Museveni has now released.
The President made the announcement during a dinner reception at State House, Entebbe, where he and First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni hosted the national team.
“This evening, Maama and I hosted the Uganda Cranes for dinner at Entebbe after their commendable performance in the tournament. As promised, we have fulfilled our pledge to them, as motivation is an essential part of building capacity,” Museveni said.
As promised, we have fulfilled our pledge to them, as motivation is an essential part of building capacity.
Finally, I want to congratulate the Local Organizing Committee, chaired by Maama, for successfully hosting our first continental tournament, in partnership with Kenya and… pic.twitter.com/vwCb7PyeIO
— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) September 10, 2025
According to the arrangement, each player and official walked away with approximately UGX 30 million per win. This came on top of the $11,000 that FUFA had already disbursed to every squad member.
Earlier in the day, the team had been honoured in Parliament, where legislators passed a motion applauding their historic campaign. For the first time in seven attempts, Uganda finally broke the jinx and advanced past the group stage. Their run, however, ended in the quarterfinals with a narrow 1-0 defeat to eventual champions Senegal.
The dinner at State House was not short of humour, either. The President playfully quizzed the technical bench and goalkeeper Joel Mutakubwa about the third goal conceded against South Africa, offering his own “commander’s analysis.”
“As I joined Maama to watch the Cranes playing against Algeria recently in Nakasero after my official duties, I reflected on a principle I often teach in the military: every Force has an Area of Responsibility (AOR). When everyone goes on the offensive and leaves the defense and goalkeeper exposed, the opponent can easily exploit that gap. That was my analysis of the game. However, as we say in Swahili, ‘Tafadhali,’ our team’s efforts cannot go unappreciated. The Cranes fought valiantly,” Museveni observed.
With CHAN 2024 in the history books, the Cranes’ attention now shifts to an even bigger stage: the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Uganda will co-host with neighbours Kenya and Tanzania.
