36 pupils to represent Oyam at National Kids Ball Games in Mubende

19 August 2026, 9:47 pm

By Eman Yonah Oruk

Oyam District will be represented by 36 pupils at the 2026 National Kids Ball Games and Special Needs Education (SNE) Championship, scheduled to take place at Mubende Army Secondary School in Mubende District from 24 August to 4 September.

The team was selected following a three-day competition held at Oyam District Bomb Ground, which concluded today. The contingent comprises 18 boys under the age of 14 who will compete in football, nine girls in volleyball and nine pupils in netball.

Assistant Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Oyam, Tenywa Ayub, who officiated as Guest of Honour, urged headteachers to strictly adhere to government policies and guidelines while supervising teachers. He noted that the world is highly competitive and schools must improve their performance to attract parents.

Ayub encouraged parents to allow their children to participate in co-curricular activities, warning that failure to support pupils to attend national competitions could have negative consequences. He commended the referees and selection team for conducting a fair process and urged school authorities to provide learners with adequate practice time and training materials.

He emphasised that football is not only important for physical fitness but can also provide a source of income, citing Ugandan footballer Allan Okello as an example. However, he reminded learners to remain committed to their academic studies while pursuing sports.

Oyam Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Felix Majembe, said schools should not only be recognised for academic performance but also for nurturing learners’ talents through co-curricular activities. He called on education stakeholders to encourage learners to participate in sports and congratulated the pupils selected to represent Oyam District at the national competition in Mubende.

Hon. Hannah Ongom, female representative of older persons in Oyam District Local Government and Secretary for Education, Health, Community-Based Services and Commerce, commended teachers for nurturing pupils’ talents in football, volleyball and netball.

However, Ongom expressed concern that Oyam District could miss the National Music, Dance and Drama Festival due to financial constraints. She appealed to the CAO and RDC’s offices to support the District Education Officer (DEO) through local revenue to facilitate participation in such activities, ensuring that Oyam does not miss out as it has in previous years.

She also urged the learners selected for the ball games to conduct themselves well during the national competition.

Oyam District Vice Chairperson, Ceaser Apali, representing the District Chairperson’s office, commended primary schools for participating in the ball games. He encouraged pupils who were not selected to remain focused and prepare for next year’s competitions, assuring them that district leaders would support the team representing Oyam at the national level.

Oyam District Education Officer (DEO), David Adea, called on the selected learners to participate actively and demonstrate the potential of Oyam District. He said the selected pupils would remain in the district for further training and reminded them that they would be representing the district, rather than their individual schools or sub-counties.

Adea noted that participation in sports helps learners develop leadership skills, resilience, physical fitness and discipline.

This strong representation demonstrates Oyam District’s commitment to nurturing young talent and promoting co-curricular activities alongside academic excellence as the pupils prepare to compete at the national level in Mubende.