Uganda will host the 2026 Africa Aquatics Zone III Championship from October 21–25, bringing together seven countries for five days of swimming, water polo, open water and masters competition.
The championship will be staged at Kampala International School Uganda (KISU) in Bukoto for swimming and water polo, while the open water events will be held at Entebbe Sailing Club.
Uganda, the defending Zone III champion, will enter the competition with an 89-swimmer team, alongside a 22-member water polo squad, as it seeks to extend its winning streak to four consecutive editions.
Uganda won the championship in Kigali in 2023, retained the title in Bujumbura in 2024 and completed a third successive triumph in Nairobi in 2025.
The 2026 edition will feature Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Somalia and Sudan, with all participating teams expected to be based at Speke Resort Munyonyo throughout the championship.
Speaking about Uganda’s preparations, Uganda Aquatics Federation president Moses Mwase said hosting the championship has allowed Uganda to field two teams and give more athletes an opportunity to compete.
“Team Uganda has a total of eighty-nine athletes.
Because we are hosting, we have Team A and Team B, so we have selected four of the best athletes per event per age group.
We have a total of 89 swimmers currently, and in water polo we have a total of 22 athletes.”
The swimming programme will cover four age categories—Under 12, 13–14, 15–16 and 17 and over—while water polo will have Under 16 and 17-and-over categories.
Mwase said the water polo programme will deliberately combine boys and girls as part of the federation’s wider development strategy.
“We’re going to have juniors and seniors. It will be a mixed activity, both girls and boys, as part of the water polo development plan.”
Open water swimming will feature 3km and 5km races for younger and older competitors respectively, while masters and athletes with disabilities will compete over 1.5km.
“Open water, we shall have a team in 15 and under, 16 and over, girls and boys separate.
The fourth category will be the masters, and the masters will still take part in both swimming and open water.”
The open water programme will see swimmers aged 15 and under compete over 3km, while those aged 16 and above will tackle 5km.
Masters swimmers aged 25 and above will race over 1.5km.
Uganda’s preparations are already underway, with the national team currently conducting a six-day training camp.
Mwase said three sessions had been completed by the time of his update, with around 80 percent of the selected athletes already in camp.
“Team Uganda has had three sessions so far.
We know the athletes train from different clubs and different teams, but they have an ongoing camp.
We have six different days of training and we are finishing day three.”
Despite athletes being drawn from different clubs and countries, Mwase said the camp has provided an opportunity to bring the core of the national team together ahead of the championship.
“The team is looking set. We have the biggest percentage of the athletes, 80 percent present.
We know there are some athletes who are in different countries who will be coming back strictly for the event, but those present are training.”
The championship will also incorporate a residential arrangement designed to bring the participating teams together.
All visiting teams, and team Uganda and the main swimming contingent will stay at Speke Resort Munyonyo during the competition.
Water polo, open water and masters athletes will be the exception, with their events structured as one-day competitions allowing them to remain at home.
“The teams, all the entire event, different countries alongside Team Uganda will be accommodated at Speke Resort Munyonyo, where they will reside all the competition days.
It’s only water polo and open water swimmers alongside masters that will be staying at home because it will be a one-day event for open water and a one-day event for water polo.”
With entries closing on October 4, preparations are entering their final phase as Uganda seeks to turn home advantage into a fourth successive Zone III crown.
The championship is being supported by Uganda Development Bank, Uganda Airlines, Tooro Cement, AquaFina, the Government of Uganda and Plascon, whose backing has contributed to Uganda’s preparations to host the regional aquatic showcase.
