Don't Treat Ssekitoleko Like a Chicken Thief after Sacrificing for Uganda - Sports Official

 

Julius Sekitoleko is languishing in police cells, mixed up with thieves, drug abusers and all manner of criminals. His only mistake is that after being told he would not take part in the Olympic Games in Tokyo, he went into town to look for a job in hope if supporting his wife who is pregnant with their first child.  Innocently, Ssekitoleko even wrote a note spelling out exactly what he was going to do and why. 

The story of Ssekitoleko's sacrifice to win several medals for Uganda in the past, as told by his mother Julliet Nalwadda is heart breaking, as the woman who has often borrowed money to buy food and medicines to support her son's training and a treat his injuries now concludes that it all amounts to nothing.

Desire Nampeewo last year met a guy who was really struggling to make ends meet. The guy really had nothing, she says. It was a guy when dating, would only tell her that he has represented Uganda in foreign countries several times. 

  

But what really is nothing, when in this case the guy has won several medals for his country, including a bronze wonjust a couple of months ago in the African Weightlifting championship that were held in Nairobi, Kenya? 

Nampeewo said in an interview on Thursday that when they met, Julius had no bed. And the guy without a bed is Julius Ssekitoleko, a Ugandan weightlifter who vanished from Uganda’s camp in Japan, handed himself to Japan police and days later was deported . Upon arrival at the airport, Ssekitoleko was interrogated and later detained at Jinja Road Police Station. 

   

Before she answered the first question when our reporter visited the family in Wabigalo, Kibuli, Makindye Division, Juliet Nalwadda, Ssekitoleko’s mother dashed to the house to bring more than two dozen medals that her son has won over years from Rugby and Weightlifting. The point she wanted to make is: her son has been hardworking but all medals he has won now count for nothing to the country he has been battering his body to represent. 

  

Nalwadda argues that government should take care of sports personalities who represent the country in numerous sporting activities. “I am disappointed with the government because whenever they take athletes to represent Uganda, on return they only care about those who have won medals and the rest are only given food during the days of competing,” she says.

Whenever Ssekitoleko represented Uganda abroad, on return, he would fall sick because of short stay in new environment, climate and food, her mother said. The illness would also be due the fact that he would use a lot of energy hoping to win a medal, his mother continues. 

And it’s her who would be running around looking for treatment money, which apparently is not the concern of the government. A weightlifter always needs good food but it’s always in short supply at home because of lack of money, Nampeewo says.

  

When training for Tokyo Olympics, Ssekitoleko’s mother says, he “borrowed money to buy food supplements. He had no phone. They were told they would be getting all programs on phone. He borrowed money to buy a phone.” 

 

Going to Tokyo, he left an expectant wife but the only money he could leave her with was Uganda shilling 150,000 which he had just borrowed. After hearing that he had vanished in Japan, the landlord evicted the wife from the house they were renting. They had not paid four months rent of 600,000 Uganda shillings.

  

Ssekitoleko isn’t the first athlete to vanish when representing Uganda or the only athlete ensnared in poverty. He was just unlucky that the Japanese government is currently strict and it seemingly doesn’t want athletes participating in the Olympics to vanish and stay in the country. Last month, Uganda Rugby Sevens player James Odong disappeared from a hotel where his teammates were camped in Monaco, France.  

Many athletes have worked tirelessly like Ssekitoleko to win medals which come with no financial reward. For instance, Hellen Baleke, won a Bronze medal at the 2019 All Africa Games in Rabat Morocco but it came without financial reward. Thus, it never made any difference in her life. She lives in Katanga slum. She does tailoring work but her sewing machines was confiscated by the landlord after failure to pay rent, she told URN in March.  

Muhangi Moses, the president of Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) says the treatment of Ssekitoleko will dissuade many people from joining sports. “How do we interest you young people to join sports?" he asks. "How do we convince parents to give us their kids when there is nothing to show for their efforts a nd sacrifice? And when athletes make a simple error, they are crucified as chicken thieves.”  

Muhangi says Ssekitoleko should have been let to go home after making a statement at police since he is already in Uganda and he can be summoned to answer questions anytime. 

  

//Cue in: “that becomes hard… 

Cue out:…representing the country.”//

  

Muhangi argues that government “has done so much” to contribute to disappearance of athletes. He mentions other several athletes such as Juma Miiro and David Ssemujju, boxers who have won medals but got nothing. The president previously promised a monthly salary to all medalists. However, the promise has never been fulfilled.  

Moses Muhangi mentions Juma Miiro, a boxing bronze medalist at the common wealth games in Australia in 2018 who thought of vanishing in Australia after the games to go and seek a decent living. Muhangi revealed that it took him a lot of effort to convince the athlete to come back to the country, assuring him of a monthly salary promised by President Museveni to all medalists.   

//Cue in: “what president Museveni…. 

Cue out:…of the bargain.”// 

  

Disciplinary action  

Government officials have been cagey about the sort of disciplinary action Ssekitoleko is likely to face. The police were interviewing him to see if he committed any crime, Charles Twiine CID spokesperson said yesterday. Rev. Can. Duncans Mugumya, the incoming Commissioner Physical Education and Sports at the Education Ministry yesterday also said he will be disciplined as per rules and regulations of sports.   

“We have a code of conduct and that is what we will use to help him be disciplined, to help him be counselled and to help him develop his career if he is willing to be disciplined and settle down to do so,” Mugumya said. 

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