KABALE I URN: A brilliant brace from Dominic Abonga against Blacks Power FC in the ongoing FUFA Big League earned Kigezi Home Boyz FC a historic direct promotion to the 2026/2027 Uganda Premier League on Sunday, ending a 25-year wait for the Kigezi region to return to top-flight football.
The last club from the region to feature in the Uganda Premier League was Horizon FC in 2001. The club was later relegated and eventually collapsed due to financial challenges. In 2017, Owen Tumuhimbise founded Kabale Sharp FC, which only managed to compete in the FUFA Big League. In July 2019, Tumuhimbise sold the club, which was later renamed Kigezi Home Boyz FC by new ownership.
Since then, the club had struggled to secure promotion until Sunday, May 17, 2026, when they hosted Blacks Power FC at Al-Madinah Stadium in Kabale District. The match began with early drama in the 30th minute when Blacks Power FC defender Andrea Ogwal was sent off after a foul on a Kigezi Home Boyz player. Despite the numerical advantage, the first half ended goalless.
The breakthrough came in the 70th minute when South Sudanese forward Dominic Abonga, who joined Kigezi Home Boyz FC from Koryom FC in February 2026, headed in from a corner to give the hosts the lead. Just three minutes later, Abonga struck again, breaking through the defense to seal a 2-0 victory and confirm Kigezi Home Boyz FC’s promotion.
Following the match, Blacks Power FC head coach Michael Lukyamuzi and his technical team declined to speak to the media. However, Kigezi Home Boyz FC head coach Sadick Sempigi expressed joy over the historic achievement, describing it as a milestone the Kigezi region had waited over two decades to celebrate.
Sempigi said the players and technical team had fulfilled their responsibility by securing promotion and called on stakeholders and sports lovers across the region to support the club as it prepares for life in the Uganda Premier League
Chief Executive Officer Brian Akankwasa said the promotion is a major boost not only for football development but also for tourism and business opportunities in the Kigezi region. He, however, noted challenges ahead, including upgrading dressing room facilities and meeting FUFA requirements, including the establishment of a women’s football team, which the club currently lacks.
Supporters, including Evaristo Tugeineyo, Rodgers Niwasasira, Brian Ariho, and Davis Sai Asiimwe, described the promotion as a remarkable achievement worth celebrating, saying it will allow fans in Kigezi to watch some of Uganda’s biggest clubs play in their region.
With two matches remaining in the 2025/2026 season, Kigezi Home Boyz FC sit top of the table with 51 points, level with Blacks Power FC, but lead on goal difference by three, securing their historic promotion.
