Ugandan gold and silver medalists who won during the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Australia will each receive a monthly stipend of Shs 5 million and Shs 3 million, President Yoweri Museveni said on Sunday. He said that winners of bronze will be paid a monthly salary of Shs 1 million.
Museveni made the declaration while hosting a delegation of athletes, sportsmen and women at a luncheon at State House Entebbe.
The Ugandan contingent that participated in the games returned home with six medals in total and have been revered by a wide section of the public. Long distance runner, Joshua Cheptegei won two gold medals while athletes Stella Chesang and Mercyline Chelangat won gold and bronze respectively. Other medalists were Solomon Mutai (athlete) and Juma Miiro (boxer).
Uganda won three gold medals, two bronze and one silver.
“I made a promise that whoever wins a gold medal at an international or continental competition would get a monthly salary of Shs 5 million, a silver Shs 3 million and Shs 1 million for bronze,” Museveni said while speaking at the luncheon co-hosted by First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni.
“The five medalists today will get onto the payroll. I have also been told of some arrears to other athletes, they will be cleared,” the President added.
He further promised to build a house for Cheptegei and Chesang.
The President used the event to downplay critics who have attacked government for not investing in sports. He said that circumstantial problems like instability prompted government to invest in other priorities.
“Some people have been writing that we are harvesting where we did not sow. That these children are getting medals by miracle. That is not true,” he said.
“The last time Uganda did well in Commonwealth Games was in 1970 and that was the last time Uganda was stable. After that, the country went into political chaos. And with chaos, you get more important things to attend to than sports. You just try to survive. That is why we could not look after our athletes well”.
He attributed the recent strides in Uganda’s performance in international sport to the peace ushered in by his government.
He explained that athletes can not thrive in an environment of instability, citing the globally acclaimed athlete Mo Farah who is born in Somalia but ran for Britain.
Museveni also hinted on issues of the well being of athletes which he said requires attention.
“We should pay attention to the health of athletes and their nutrition. I saw some footballers kicking balls lazily. They need energy. Coupled with this is training and being disciplined,” he added.
Previously, government had promised to set up a state-of-the-art training facility for athletes in Kapchorwa, however, the project has stalled. The President said he would engage officials at the Ministry of Sports to ensure the construction is expedited.
He advised those charged with the industry of sports to attach potential athletes to security institutions like Police, Prisons and the army as a way of eliminating issues of facilitation. Most of Uganda’s excelling sports people are attached to security agencies.
