By Mike Rwothomio

Women across the West Nile sub-region have been challenged to join the refereeing ranks as the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) wrapped up a five-day beginners’ refereeing course for match officials from Zombo, Nebbi, Pakwach, and Maracha districts.

The intensive programme, which drew 33 participants including seven females, featured practical sessions on the pitch, theoretical classes, and written examinations.

It was conducted by FUFA refereeing instructor Ms. Immaculate Achiro from the federation’s technical department.

Zombo led the way with 20 participants, followed by Maracha (6), Nebbi (4), and Pakwach (3). 

The fresh batch of officials is expected to strengthen refereeing numbers across Regional, Provincial, Zonal, First Division, and Sixth Division matches in the region.

Speaking on Friday at the closing ceremony held at Kyambogo University Campus in Paidha, Zombo District, Ms. Achiro urged more women to enter the profession. “Time has changed. Those days, everybody used to think football is only for men. Right now things have changed, even women, we are on board for football-related matters,” she said.

She added that her own position as a FUFA instructor should serve as inspiration for girls and women across the country.

The course, which ran from Monday, June 22 to Friday, June 26 in Zombo District, follows a similar programme in Yumbe. Both initiatives aim to professionalise the game from grassroots level, where unprofessional officiating has often sparked violence in local matches.

Zombo District Football Association chairperson Aziz Onim said the training was organised and funded by Zombo District local government to address critical gaps in refereeing that have fuelled pitch-side incidents.

“We still have gaps where referees’ unprofessional decisions still end up in violence. That is the reason we have organised this training to professionalise the game of football,” Onim stated. He confirmed that such training will now be an annual feature in Zombo.

The West Nile regional football body currently has about 15 centre referees and around 40 assistant referees available for regional league fixtures, creating stiff competition for match-day appointments.

Ms. Achiro cautioned both the girl child and boy child against treating refereeing as a "fallback option" insisting it should be taken seriously from grassroots to international level.

Participants React

Majuma Mariku, a female participant who travelled over 100 kilometres from Maracha District, encouraged more girls from her area to step forward.

“We as girls from Maracha DFA, we are just few in number,” she said, calling on them to summon the courage to join.

Brenda Kwiocwiny, 19, from Nebbi DFA, said the training has opened more opportunities for her, noting there are only three female referees in the entire Nebbi structure.

Kenneth Owacgiu, chairperson of Paidha Black Angles SC, one of the participants welcomed the initiative, saying it will reduce over-reliance on officials from other regions.

“This will help reduce over dependence on referees from other regions,” he noted, while calling on more people to join the noble profession.

The newly certified beginner referees have been encouraged to put their training into practice by offering themselves for matches without hesitation. 

Zombo DFA chairperson Onim assured them of deployment in local games to sharpen their skills and gain experience, while urging continuous learning through all available platforms.

Under the National Sports Act, 2023, FUFA and other national sports bodies have statutory authority to independently train, evaluate, license, and regulate their match officials in line with their constitutions and FIFA rules.

For certification, referees must complete accredited training, pass fitness tests, and obtain a valid license from the governing body.

The new officials will also be protected by law, which criminalises threats, assaults, or incitement of violence against match officials by fans, club officials, or players. Offenders face fines of up to 480 currency points and prison terms of up to ten years.

FUFA refereeing instructor Ms. Immaculate Achiro from the federation’s technical department.

Participants for their written session

Some of the participants

Mike Rwothomio is news editor at Zoomer Africa your number one grassroot information hub for African news trends and updates.