Makerere University’s preparations to host the 15th Federation of East Africa University Sports (FEAUS) Games have gathered momentum following the successful completion of a joint inspection of sporting and accommodation facilities.
The inspection, conducted on Saturday, September 19 by a three-country delegation comprising officials from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, assessed Makerere’s readiness to host the regional university sports spectacle.
The 2026 FEAUS Games are scheduled for December 15–20, with more than 30 universities from across East Africa expected to participate.
Makerere assumed hosting responsibilities as an immediate alternative two months ago after the University of Dodoma, which had initially been awarded the hosting rights, withdrew from the arrangement.
The inspection covered facilities for football, rugby, swimming, athletics, basketball, netball, volleyball and indoor sports, among other disciplines.
Makerere senior sports tutor Brian Miiro Nsubuga expressed confidence in the university’s capacity to stage the Games, although he acknowledged that a few facilities still require additional attention.
“As far as the facilities are concerned, I can say about 110% of the facilities at Makerere University are ready.
Only the Makerere Sports Ground is still under construction, but we believe that by November it will be ready for the Games.”
Nsubuga added that Makerere has sufficient infrastructure to accommodate the majority of the disciplines, with swimming likely to require an additional venue outside the university because Makerere has only one swimming facility.
Accommodation is another area in which the university believes it has a strong advantage.
Dr Winfred Kabumbuli Namuwoonge, Makerere’s Dean of Students and Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee, said the university’s halls of residence can comfortably accommodate the expected influx of athletes and officials.
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“We have world-class accommodation, including the fully furnished and renovated Mary Stuart and Lumumba Halls.”
Makerere has nine halls of residence, six designated for male students and three for female students, with a combined capacity of more than 6,000 students.
Kabumbuli said the university expects approximately 3,000 visitors for the Games, leaving sufficient accommodation capacity.
The 2026 FEAUS Games will feature 21 sporting disciplines, including football, basketball, athletics, netball, rugby, chess, swimming, taekwondo, karate, badminton, volleyball, handball, Scrabble, table tennis, lawn tennis, goalball, sitting volleyball, showdown, woodball, darts and hockey.
The Games will also maintain the FEAUS commitment to inclusive university sport through competitions for students with disabilities.
The para-sports programme enters its fourth edition this year, having debuted at the 2018 Games in Dodoma, Tanzania, before being held at Ndejje University in Uganda in 2022 and Maseno University in Kenya in 2024.
FEAUS also set firm administrative timelines ahead of the Games. Participating universities are required to complete registration and payment by October 30, with no entries accepted after the deadline.
The official draws and release of fixtures are scheduled for November 9, while teams will be allowed to access the Games Village from November 13, designated as the official arrival date.
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The opening ceremony and preliminary-round competitions are scheduled for November 15, with the Games culminating in the closing ceremony on November 20.
With the facilities inspection now complete, attention shifts to the final phase of preparations as Makerere works to deliver a Games edition capable of bringing together more than 30 universities under the banner of East African university sport.
